The French imperfect tense(imparfait) is your go-to for talking... Show more
French5 views·Updated May 31, 2026·2 pagesL’imparfait : Guide de révision pour le passé simple
K
Keira Kennedy McGrath@keirakennedymcg
1
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Understanding the Imperfect Tense
The imperfect tense is actually dead handy once you get the hang of it. You'll use it whenever you want to say "I used to do" or "I was doing" something in French.
There are three main situations where you'll reach for the imperfect. First, when describing repeated actions in the past - like "When I was young, I used to go to the cinema every week." Second, for incomplete actions that were happening at a specific time - "At 2 o'clock yesterday I was playing tennis." Finally, for descriptions rather than actions - "The weather was nice" or "He was very happy."
Forming the imperfect is straightforward. Take any verb's nous form in the present tense, chop off the -ons, and add the imperfect endings. For example: finir → nous finissons → je finissais. The only rebel here is être, which becomes j'étais.
Quick Tip: Remember that the imperfect is all about setting the scene or describing ongoing situations, not completed actions!
2
of 2
Conjugation Pattern and Practice
Let's look at a complete verb conjugation using regarder (to watch). The pattern is: je regardais, tu regardais, il regardait, nous regardions, vous regardiez, ils regardaient. Notice that il and ils sound exactly the same when spoken!
Those practice questions are brilliant for getting comfortable with the tense. You'd answer "Qu'est-ce que vous faisiez dimanche dernier?" (What were you doing last Sunday?) with something like "Je regardais la télé" or "Je faisais mes devoirs." The key is thinking about what you were doing at that specific moment.
The big difference between perfect and imperfect tense? Perfect tense is for completed actions ("I went"), whilst imperfect is for ongoing situations or habits ("I was going" or "I used to go"). Perfect tense moves the story forward; imperfect sets the background scene.
Remember: If you can translate it with "used to" or "was doing" in English, you probably need the imperfect in French!
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French5 views·Updated May 31, 2026·2 pagesL’imparfait : Guide de révision pour le passé simple
K
Keira Kennedy McGrath@keirakennedymcg
The French imperfect tense (imparfait) is your go-to for talking about ongoing actions, habits, and descriptions in the past. Think of it as the "used to" or "was doing" tense that brings past stories to life.
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Understanding the Imperfect Tense
The imperfect tense is actually dead handy once you get the hang of it. You'll use it whenever you want to say "I used to do" or "I was doing" something in French.
There are three main situations where you'll reach for the imperfect. First, when describing repeated actions in the past - like "When I was young, I used to go to the cinema every week." Second, for incomplete actions that were happening at a specific time - "At 2 o'clock yesterday I was playing tennis." Finally, for descriptions rather than actions - "The weather was nice" or "He was very happy."
Forming the imperfect is straightforward. Take any verb's nous form in the present tense, chop off the -ons, and add the imperfect endings. For example: finir → nous finissons → je finissais. The only rebel here is être, which becomes j'étais.
Quick Tip: Remember that the imperfect is all about setting the scene or describing ongoing situations, not completed actions!
2
of 2Sign up to see the content. It's free!
- Access to all documents
- Improve your grades
- Join milions of students
Conjugation Pattern and Practice
Let's look at a complete verb conjugation using regarder (to watch). The pattern is: je regardais, tu regardais, il regardait, nous regardions, vous regardiez, ils regardaient. Notice that il and ils sound exactly the same when spoken!
Those practice questions are brilliant for getting comfortable with the tense. You'd answer "Qu'est-ce que vous faisiez dimanche dernier?" (What were you doing last Sunday?) with something like "Je regardais la télé" or "Je faisais mes devoirs." The key is thinking about what you were doing at that specific moment.
The big difference between perfect and imperfect tense? Perfect tense is for completed actions ("I went"), whilst imperfect is for ongoing situations or habits ("I was going" or "I used to go"). Perfect tense moves the story forward; imperfect sets the background scene.
Remember: If you can translate it with "used to" or "was doing" in English, you probably need the imperfect in French!
We thought you’d never ask...
What is the Knowunity AI companion?
Our AI companion is specifically built for the needs of students. Based on the millions of content pieces we have on the platform we can provide truly meaningful and relevant answers to students. But its not only about answers, the companion is even more about guiding students through their daily learning challenges, with personalised study plans, quizzes or content pieces in the chat and 100% personalisation based on the students skills and developments.
Where can I download the Knowunity app?
You can download the app in the Google Play Store and in the Apple App Store.
Is Knowunity really free of charge?
That's right! Enjoy free access to study content, connect with fellow students, and get instant help – all at your fingertips.
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Stefan SiOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha KlichAndroid user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
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