French Grammar from RapideFrench.com
Verbs: Past Tense – Imperfect
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The French Past Imperfect Tense is used to describe past actions don’t indicate a specific start and end, or actions that occurred routinely in the past. An example of something not having a clear finish: elle était heureuse = she was happy. An example of something occurring routinely: J'allais au cinéma tous les samedis. = I used to go to the cinema on Saturdays. It is called the imperfect because it is for past actions which are ‘unfinished’.
It is formed by taking the nous form of a verb, removing the ons and then adding the endings shown in this table.
| regarder, nous form is regardons |
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| je | regard | + | ais | = | je regardais |
| tu | regard | + | ais | = | tu regardais |
| il/elle | regard | + | ait | = | il/elle regardait |
| nous | regard | + | ions | = | nous regardions |
| vous | regard | + | iez | = | vous regardiez |
| ils/elles | regard | + | aient | = | ils/elles regardaient |
Notice that for verbs the stem ends in an i, meaning that the nous and vous forms end up with ii, which is fine. For example étudier…
| étudier, nous form is étudions |
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| je | étudi | + | ais | = | je étudiais |
| tu | étudi | + | ais | = | tu étudiais |
| il/elle | étudi | + | ait | = | il/elle étudiait |
| nous | étudi | + | ions | = | nous étudiions |
| vous | étudi | + | iez | = | vous étudiiez |
| ils/elles | étudi | + | aient | = | ils/elles étudiaient |
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Stem exception: être
For once there is only one exception, être, where the stem that is different: ét
| être imperfect past tense |
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| je | ét | + | ais | = | je étais |
| tu | ét | + | ais | = | tu étais |
| il/elle | ét | + | ait | = | il/elle était |
| nous | ét | + | ions | = | nous étions |
| vous | ét | + | iez | = | vous étiez |
| ils/elles | ét | + | aient | = | ils/elles étaient |
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Spelling Exceptions
There are a few verbs where the spelling changes to keep the c or g sounds soft.
| Verbs that end in ger (e.g. manger, to eat) make changes to keep the g sounds soft, except in the nous and vous form |
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| je | mangeais | I was eating |
| tu | mangeais | you were eating |
| il/elle | mangeait | he/she was eating |
| nous | mangions | we were eating |
| vous | mangiez | you (plural) were eating |
| ils/elles | mangeaient | they were eating |
| Verbs that end in cer (e.g. commencer, to start) make changes to keep the c sounds soft, except in the nous and vous form |
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| je | commençais | I was starting |
| tu | commençais | you were starting |
| il/elle | commençait | he/she was starting |
| nous | commencions | we were starting |
| vous | commenciez | you (plural) were starting |
| ils/elles | commençaient | they were starting |
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