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When is imparfait used?

Updated: 4/30/2024
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13y ago

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  • Décrit et encadre au passé
    • Décrit le cadre, un état d'esprit ou une condition au passé
    • Exprime une action habituelle ou répétée au passé
    • Exprime une situation qui peut être interrompue par une action précise
  • The imperfect is used to describe an action that continued for a time period in the past
  • This includes feelings, emotions, habits, repeated actions, and a situation that is interrupted by a sudden action.
  • For example- I used to like Oranges when I was five years old would be a sentence in the imperfect/imparfait. J'aimait les oranges quand j'avais cinq ans.
  • For example- When I was calling my mom, the doorbell rang. "talking" would be in the imperfect and "rang" would be in passe compose. Quand je telephonais ma mere, la sonnette a fait sonner.
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2d ago

The imparfait tense is used in French to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, to describe simultaneous actions in the past, or to set the scene in a story. It is also used to express habitual actions or states of being in the past.

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What is the 'imparfait' tense in French?

The 'imparfait' tense is a past tense in French used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. It is formed by removing the -ons ending from the present tense nous form, and adding specific endings (-ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient). It is often used for setting the scene, describing background information, or expressing habitual actions.


When writing a story in French of the past how do you know when to use Imparfait or Passe Compose?

Use the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual past actions, while the passé composé should be used for completed or specific past actions. In general, the imparfait sets the scene or background, and the passé composé indicates a specific event that occurred. Practice and familiarity with both tenses will help you choose the right one for your story.


What is the ending for vous in the imparfait?

"iez" is the vous ending in the imperfect. (For example, aimer --> aimiez.)


Had in French?

Had is usually in passé composé but it may be in imparfait i had= j'ai eu you had= tu as eu he/she had= il/elle a eu we had= nous avons eu you had (plural/formal)= vous avez eu they had= ils ont eu Passé Composé is used to describe what happened. Imparfait is used to described how things were or using physical and moral descriptions. Example: J'ai eu un verre d'eau chez Natalie. That means: I had a glass of water at Natalie's house. That is what happened: I had it. BUT for Imparfait.... Example: Quand j'avais 4 ans, mon chien a mangé le poisson. That means: When I was 4 years old, my dog ate the fish. That how it was when I was four years old.


How many verb tenses are there in french?

23 : Indicatif Présent Indicatif Passé composé Indicatif Imparfait Indicatif Plus-que-parfait Indicatif Passé simple Indicatif Passé antérieur Indicatif Futur simple Indicatif Futur antérieur Subjonctif Présent Subjonctif Passé Subjonctif Imparfait Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait Conditionnel Présent Conditionnel Passé première forme Conditionnel Passé deuxième forme Impératif Présent Impératif Passé Infinitif Présent Infinitif Passé Participe Présent Participe Passé Gérondif Présent Gérondif Passé

Related questions

What is the difference between passe compose and imparfait?

The passé composé is used to express completed actions in the past, while the imparfait is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. The passé composé is formed with a helping verb (avoir or être) and a past participle, while the imparfait is formed by adding specific endings to the root of the verb.


How do you know when to use Imparfait and when to use Pass Compos?

Imparfait will typically refer to an action that lasts in time or was repetitive (a habit). So you will often use it when you would use "was/were doing" and "used to do" in English. Passé composé, by contrast with imparfait, will refer to a "one-off" action - for that in English you would use preterit ("did").


What is the 'imparfait' tense in French?

The 'imparfait' tense is a past tense in French used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. It is formed by removing the -ons ending from the present tense nous form, and adding specific endings (-ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient). It is often used for setting the scene, describing background information, or expressing habitual actions.


How do you say imperfect in french?

imparfait


How do you write i had in french?

"j'avais" (imparfait) or "j'ai eu" (passé composé)


What actors and actresses appeared in Imparfait du subjectif - 2011?

The cast of Imparfait du subjectif - 2011 includes: Raoul Schlechter


Is Je suis né le 16 decembre 1991 passe compose or imparfait?

It's passé composé. Imparfait would be "Je naissais...".


How do you distinguish between imparfait and passé composé in French?

Imparfait only the verb;pase compose 2 parts avoir or etre & the verb not the infinitive form like I was lookING in Eng in french voir & vu


What is the ending for vous in the imparfait?

"iez" is the vous ending in the imperfect. (For example, aimer --> aimiez.)


What is the French 'imparfait'?

The word 'imparfait' may be an adjective in French. As such, it may mean imperfect, as of an image; incomplete, as of a work; and partial, as of a cure. The word also may be used as a noun. As such, perhaps its most common use is the name of the verb tense that's the French equivalent of the English imperfect. The French imperfect tense may be expressed in the indicative mood [of reality] or the subjunctive mood [of wishes].


Had in French?

Had is usually in passé composé but it may be in imparfait i had= j'ai eu you had= tu as eu he/she had= il/elle a eu we had= nous avons eu you had (plural/formal)= vous avez eu they had= ils ont eu Passé Composé is used to describe what happened. Imparfait is used to described how things were or using physical and moral descriptions. Example: J'ai eu un verre d'eau chez Natalie. That means: I had a glass of water at Natalie's house. That is what happened: I had it. BUT for Imparfait.... Example: Quand j'avais 4 ans, mon chien a mangé le poisson. That means: When I was 4 years old, my dog ate the fish. That how it was when I was four years old.


How are passé composé and imparfait different in French language?

Passé composé, the most commonly used past tense in French, is used for an action that occurred at one point in the past, while imparfait is for an action that you used to do or something you were in the process of doing in the past (meaning that it was not at one point in time but rather for a certain amount of time).For example: I was reading my book when the phone rang.Je lisais (imparfait) mon livre quand le téléphone a sonné (passé composé).Another example: I used to like drawing, and then I started painting.J'aimais (I) dessiner, et puis j'ai commencé (PC) à peindre.Another example: They got lost when they were horse-back riding.Elles se sont perdues (PC) quand elles faisaient(I) de l'équitation.