L'imparfait
The imparfait describes ongoing states, habitual actions, and background context in the past. Learning when to use it versus the passé composé is one of the key milestones in French.
How to form the imparfait
The rule
Take the nous form of the present tense and remove -ons. This gives you the imperfect stem. Then add the imperfect endings below.
parler
nous parlons → parl- → je parlais
finir
nous finissons → finiss- → je finissais
vendre
nous vendons → vend- → je vendais
Imparfait endings
| Pronoun | Ending | Example (parler) |
|---|---|---|
| je | -ais | je parlais |
| tu | -ais | tu parlais |
| il / elle / on | -ait | il parlait |
| nous | -ions | nous parlions |
| vous | -iez | vous parliez |
| ils / elles | -aient | ils parlaient |
More examples across verb types
| Imparfait | English | |
|---|---|---|
| je finissais | I was finishing / I used to finish | |
| tu vendais | you were selling | |
| il habitait | he was living / he used to live | |
| nous regardions | we were watching | |
| vous mangiez | you were eating | |
| elles attendaient | they were waiting |
Exception: être
être is the only verb with an irregular stem in the imparfait: ét-. The endings are regular.
j'étais
I was
tu étais
you were
il était
he was
nous étions
we were
vous étiez
you were
ils étaient
they were
When to use l'imparfait
Ongoing background state
Il faisait beau et les oiseaux chantaient.
It was nice out and the birds were singing.
Habitual or repeated past action
Chaque matin, elle buvait un café.
Every morning, she used to drink a coffee.
Description in the past
La maison était grande et silencieuse.
The house was big and quiet.
Ongoing action interrupted by another
Je dormais quand il est entré.
I was sleeping when he came in.
Passé composé vs imparfait
This is one of the trickiest aspects of French. Use the table below to guide your choice.
| Sentence | English | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Hier, il pleuvait. | Yesterday it was raining. | Background / ongoing condition |
| Soudain, il a plu. | Suddenly it rained. | Sudden completed event |
| Quand j'étais enfant, je jouais au hockey. | When I was a child, I used to play hockey. | Repeated habit in the past |
| La semaine dernière, j'ai joué au hockey. | Last week I played hockey (once). | Single completed action |
| Elle lisait quand le téléphone a sonné. | She was reading when the phone rang. | Imparfait = background; PC = interrupting event |
| Nous avons marché deux heures. | We walked for two hours (then stopped). | Action with a defined duration → PC |