Imparfait Formation

The imparfait is the past imperfect tense. "Imperfect" means it is not finished or defined. It does not have a clear start or end. In English, we often say "was doing." We also use "used to do" or "would do." If you can say "I was eating," use imparfait. If you say "I used to run," use imparfait. It creates a continuous line in the past. It is like a video playing in slow motion. You use it for emotions and physical states. If you felt tired, that is imparfait. If the weather was cold, that is imparfait. It covers the background music of your life. It is the canvas for your past actions. You need it for descriptions and long-term situations. It is your best friend for storytelling. Without it, your stories would feel like lists. Nobody likes a boring list of events.

1. 1Creating the imparfait is like following a recipe. It is very regular and predictable. You only need to know one trick. Follow these three simple steps:
2. 2Find the nous form in the present tense.
3. 3Chop off the -ons ending. This is your stem.
4. 4Add the magic imparfait endings.
5. 5Let's try it with the verb parler. In the present, we say nous parlons. Remove the -ons and you get parl-. Now, add the endings:
6. 6je + -ais (je parlais)
7. 7tu + -ais (tu parlais)
8. 8il/elle/on + -ait (il parlait)
9. 9nous + -ions (nous parlions)
10. 10vous + -iez (vous parliez)
11. 11ils/elles + -aient (ils parlaient)
12. 12Yes, four of these sound exactly the same! Only nous and vous sound different. This makes speaking much easier for you. Even for -ir verbs like finir. The present is nous finissons. The stem is finiss-. So, you say je finissais. It sounds a bit like a snake, right? The only rebel is the verb être. Its stem is ét-. Every other verb follows the nous rule. Even the tricky ones like faire or aller.

Use the imparfait when you set the scene. Imagine you are writing a novel. You describe the weather. Il faisait beau. You describe the people. Elle portait une robe rouge. You use it for habits. Je mangeais une pomme chaque matin. It is for things you did repeatedly. Think of it as a repeating loop. It is also for age and time. J'avais dix ans. Il était midi. Use it for mental states and feelings. J'étais heureux. Il voulait partir. It describes the "what was happening" part. If someone asks "What was it like?", use imparfait. It is the tense for nostalgia. It is for the world before the action started. Use it when ordering food to be polite too. Je voulais un café, s'il vous plaît. It sounds softer than the present tense. It is a very versatile tool for you.

Do not use it for sudden actions. If something happened once, use passé composé. If the action has a clear end, stop. Do not use it for a list of events. Je suis tombé is a quick event. Je tombais means you were in the air for ages. That would be a very long fall! Do not use it for specific numbers of times. If you did it three times, use passé composé. The imparfait hates specific dates and durations. It prefers vague timeframes like "before" or "then." It is not for the "main event." It is not for the interruption. The phone rang? That is not imparfait. You were sleeping when it rang? Sleeping is imparfait. The ringing is the interruption. Keep them separate in your mind. The imparfait is the stage. The passé composé is the actor.

Many people forget the -i- in nous and vous. They say nous parlons instead of nous parlions. This makes you sound like you are in the present. That is a time-travel mistake! Be careful with -ger and -cer verbs. For manger, you need je mangeais. You must keep the e to stay soft. For commencer, you need je commençais. You must use the cedilla ç. Otherwise, it sounds like "commenkais." That sounds like a broken robot. Another mistake is using avoir or être as helping verbs. The imparfait is a single-word tense. Do not say j'ai étais. Just say j'étais. It is simpler and faster. Don't overthink the endings. Focus on the stem first. The nous form is your secret weapon. Use it every time you are unsure.

The big fight is imparfait vs passé composé. Think of a camera lens. The imparfait is the wide-angle shot. It shows the whole forest. The passé composé is the zoom. It shows the bird landing on a branch. One is the state of being. The other is the change of state. J'avais faim (I was hungry) vs J'ai eu faim (I suddenly got hungry). The imparfait is the "was" or "used to." The passé composé is the "did." In a story, the imparfait is the background music. The passé composé is the explosion in the movie. You need both to be a good storyteller. They work together like a team. One sets the table. The other eats the dinner. Practice seeing them as a pair. This contrast is the heart of French past tenses.