Imparfait or Passé Composé

Last updated date : 11th August 2024
Original published date : 28th January 2021

When learning French, one of the biggest challenges is mastering the use of past tenses. Many learners find it tricky to understand how and when to use Imparfait and Passé Composé. Getting the hang of these tenses is crucial for building confidence and achieving fluency.

Grasping the differences between these tenses will help you progress with your French studies. You will enhance your storytelling skills and make your conversations richer. In this article, you will learn how to conjugate l’Imparfait, form the Passé Composé, and understand the appropriate contexts for each.

The imparfait is used to describe ongoing actions, settings, or habitual events in the past. It sets the scene for what was happening around the main action. In contrast, the passé composé focuses on specific events that are completed. It answers questions about what happened at a particular moment.

French past tenses can be complex, but grasping their use is essential for effective communication. The two most common tenses, imparfait and passé composé, serve different purposes in storytelling and conversation.

To conjugate l’imparfait (imperfect tense), we :

1. First, take the present tense stem of the 1st person plural form of the verb (the nous form) as follows :

• Parler (to talk): nous parlons ➔ parl-
• Faire (to do/make): nous faisons ➔ fais-
• Prendre (to take): nous prenons ➔ pren-
• Dire (to say): nous disons ➔ dis-

2. Then we add the Imparfait endings :

These endings are the same for all verb groups.

• 1st Person Singular (je): -ais
• 2nd Person Singular (tu): -ais
• 3rd Person Singular (il/elle/on): -ait
• 1st Person Plural (nous): -ions
• 2nd Person Plural (vous): -iez
• 3rd Person Plural (ils/elles): -aient

For example, for faire (to do/make) :

• Faire:
  • je faisais
  • tu faisais
  • il/elle/on faisait
  • nous faisions
  • vous faisiez
  • ils/elles faisaient

Luckily, there is only exception, with être (to be). This verb doesn’t take the stem of the nous form of the present. We conjugate it follows :

• Être:
  • j’étais
  • tu étais
  • il/elle/on était
  • nous étions
  • vous étiez
  • ils/elles étaient

Note : The present conditional endings are the same as in imparfait.

Firstly, to form the passé composé, you use the present tense of “être” (to be) or “avoir” (to have) plus the past participle of the verb.

Using Avoir (to have) :

• Verbs of the 1st group (ending in -ER except aller, like “manger”, “aimer”):

• • Example: j’ai mangé (I ate)

• Verbs of the 2nd group (ending in -IR with -issons at the present tense like “finir”, “choisir”):

• • Example: j’ai fini (I finished)

• Verbs of the 3rd group (aller and all the other verbs with varied ending):

• • prendre : j’ai pris (I took)
  • pouvoir : j’ai pu (I could)
  • courir : j’ai couru (I ran)
  • ouvrir : j’ai ouvert (I opened)

Using Être (to be) :

Mostly used with the following:

• Reflexive verbs: se lever (to get up), s’habiller (to dress), se réveiller (to wake up)
• Verbs in the “Maison Être” like naître (to be born), aller (to go), monter (to climb), arriver (to arrive), venir (to come), entrer (to enter), rentrer (to return), rester (to stay), sortir (to go out), partir (to leave), descendre (to go down), tomber (to fall), mourir (to die), revenir (to return), devenir (to become).

With être, the past participle changes based on gender and number:

• Add an -e for feminine. For example, elle est allée (she went)
• Add an -s for plural such as its sont allés (they went)

For home study, I recommend using a conjugation app such as Le Bescherelle or Le Conjugueur. They really have a lot of practical exercises, essential to master French grammar.

Choosing between imparfait and passé composé can shape how you express actions in the past. Each tense has specific uses based on context, temporal indicators, and the nature of events described. Understanding these guidelines will help you use each tense accurately.

Firstly, the context of your sentence often dictates which tense to use. The passé composé is typically for completed actions. For example, “Je suis allé(e) au marché”  (I went to the market) indicates a specific action that happened and ended. The passé composé expresses a breakdown, a particular moment or a change in the past.

On the other hand, the imparfait describes ongoing states or habits in the past. The imperfect has no clear beginning or end. Used to and would are translated into French by the imparfait. For instance, when we say “Quand j’étais étudiant, je faisais beaucoup la fête (When I was a student, I used to party a lot)”. It shows that the action was happening over a period, not just at one moment.

Certain time connectors can also indicate whether to use imparfait or passé composé. Look for the following time indicators:

1. Imparfait phrases can include:

• tous les jours (every day)
• souvent (often)
• d’habitude (usually)
• chaque mois, chaque année (each month, each year)
• habituellement (in general)

 2. Passé composé sentences often include:

• une fois (once)
• la semaine dernière (last week)
• en 2000 or any specific year (in 2000)
• un jour (one day)
• soudain or tout à coup (suddenly)
• hier (yesterday)

Using these phrases correctly will enhance your understanding. For example, “Chaque année, je voyage en Floride” (Every year, I travel to Florida) suggests a habitual action, while “en 2018, je suis allée en Floride” (in 2018, I went to Florida) denotes a completed event at a specific time.

When distinguishing between counted and uncounted events, your choice of tense becomes clearer. Passé composé is your go-to for actions that occur a specific number of times. For example, “J’ai déjà vu ce film deux fois” (I’ve already seen this movie twice) indicates distinct completed actions.

In contrast, imparfait suits situations with uncounted events or ongoing scenarios. If you say, “Quand j’étais jeune, je lisais tous les soirs” (I used to read every evening when I was young), you highlight a habitual action. Here we don’t know how many times it occurred exactly. Knowing this difference helps you choose the correct tense based on the action’s nature.

Finally, It’s important to keep in mind that the ideal method to master grammar is the one that aligns with your unique situation, requirements, and aspirations. If your goal is to feel more confident in daily conversations, why not consider connecting to a French tutor ? No matter what your objective is, feel free to Get in touch for tailored private classes.