L’imparfait – Imperfect Tense in French

Key takeaways

• The imparfait describes ongoing, repeated, or background actions in the past.
• It is formed by taking the nous form of the present tense, removing -ons, and adding imparfait endings.
• Regular verbs all use the endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient.
• Only one verb is irregular: être → étais, étais, était, étions, étiez, étaient.
• The imparfait contrasts with the passé composé, which expresses completed events.

When you tell stories in French, you need more than one past tense. The passé composé handles completed events, but what about background details — the weather, how you felt, or habits you had as a child? That’s where the imparfait comes in.

Think of the imparfait as the paintbrush that fills in the background of a scene, while the passé composé provides the key actions. Mastering this tense will help you sound more natural when describing memories, stories, or repeated experiences in French.

What Is the Imparfait in French?

The imparfait (imperfect tense) is used to express:

• Ongoing actions in the past
  
  • Je lisais quand tu as téléphoné. → I was reading when you called.
• Repeated or habitual actions
  
  • Quand j’étais enfant, je jouais au foot tous les jours. → When I was a child, I used to play soccer every day.
• Descriptions of background details
  
  • Il faisait beau et les oiseaux chantaient. → The weather was nice and the birds were singing.

In English, it often translates as “was/were + -ing”, “used to”, or sometimes “would” (in the sense of habitual past).

If you want a more in-depth look, this lesson on imparfait usage with examples explains the basics in a clear way.

How to Conjugate the Imparfait

The conjugation process is very straightforward for most verbs:

1. Take the nous form of the present tense.
   
   • e.g., nous parlons (we speak)
2. Drop the -ons ending.
   
   • → parl-
3. Add the imparfait endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient.

Imparfait Endings

Conjugation Examples

Regular verbs

Irregular verb: être

Note: être is the only irregular verb in the imparfait.

When to Use the Imparfait

The imparfait is not about what happened but about what was happening or what used to happen.

1. Descriptions and Background Information

• To set the scene in the past: weather, emotions, age, time.
• Il faisait chaud et nous étions contents. → It was hot and we were happy.

2. Repeated or Habitual Actions

• To talk about routines or things you used to do.
• Chaque été, nous allions à la plage. → Every summer, we used to go to the beach.

3. Interrupted Actions

• The imparfait shows the ongoing action interrupted by a completed action in the passé composé.
• Je dormais quand tu es arrivé. → I was sleeping when you arrived.

Imparfait vs. Passé Composé

These two tenses often appear together.

• Imparfait = background, ongoing, repeated.
• Passé composé = single, completed events.

Examples:

• Quand j’étais petit, je regardais la télé tous les jours. → When I was little, I watched TV every day. (habitual, imparfait)
• Un jour, j’ai regardé un film très drôle. → One day, I watched a very funny movie. (completed event, passé composé)

Common Mistakes with the Imparfait

1. Using passé composé instead of imparfait for age and weather
   
   • ❌ J’ai eu dix ans.
   • ✅ J’avais dix ans. (I was ten years old)
2. Forgetting descriptions belong to imparfait
   
   • ❌ Hier, le ciel a été bleu.
   • ✅ Hier, le ciel était bleu. (Yesterday, the sky was blue)
3. Mixing up endings
   
   • Learners sometimes confuse -ais and -ait. Remember: je, tu = -ais; il/elle = -ait.

Exercises: Practice the Imparfait

1. Fill in the blanks:
   
   • Quand j’étais petit, je ________ (jouer) avec mes amis.
   • Il ________ (pleuvoir) souvent en avril.
   • Nous ________ (avoir) un chien.
2. Translate into French:
   
   • I used to read every night.
   • They were happy together.
   • We were eating when he arrived.
3. Correct the mistakes:
   
   • Je suis fatigué quand j’étais à l’école. → ________
   • Vous aviez allé à Paris l’année dernière. → ________

Answers:

1. jouais, pleuvait, avions
2. Je lisais chaque soir, Ils étaient heureux ensemble, Nous mangions quand il est arrivé
3. J’étais fatigué quand j’étais à l’école | Vous êtes allés à Paris l’année dernière

Tips for Mastering the Imparfait

• Compare it constantly with the passé composé: one gives context, the other narrates action.
• Use storytelling: describe scenes from your childhood using imparfait verbs.
• Practice aloud — the rhythm of endings like -ais, -ait, -aient helps you memorize.
• Use Promova’s bite-sized lessons and AI role-play to practice dialogues where both tenses appear together.

Progress comes faster when you connect rules to real-life communication. If you want efficient strategies to build fluency, check out this guide on learning French effectively. And if you’d like to see how the imparfait interacts with other verb forms, our overview of French verb tenses gives the full picture.

Summary

The imparfait is the storyteller’s tense in French, used for habits, descriptions, and ongoing actions in the past. It contrasts with the passé composé, which marks completed events. The formula is simple — take the nous form, drop -ons, and add imparfait endings. The only irregular case is être → étais, étais, était…

To practice naturally, try describing your childhood or favorite memories in French, or combine both tenses in short stories. You’ll build fluency even faster when you learn French with Promova, where lessons and AI role-plays help you bring grammar to life. Over time, choosing between imparfait and passé composé will feel as natural as telling a story in your own language.