Grammar: Imperfect tense

ByFast French

The Imperfect verb tense (l’imparfait) in French is used to express continuous action in the past.

If we use the English verb “to give” as an example, the meanings of the French Imperfect version of this verb would be “I was giving,” “I used to give,” “I kept on giving,” or even “I gave.” There is some slight overlap with the Passé Composé tense in French, but we will discuss that in a future post.

How to form the Imperfect

  1. Start with the “nous” form of the verb. Eg for the verb “aller” (to go), start with “nous allons” (we go).
  2. Remove the “-ons” part from the verb itself. This leaves you with the imperfect stem (“all-“).
  3. Add the appropriate imperfect ending. For je, it is “-ais.” For tu, it is also “-ais.” For il/elle, it is “ait.” For nous, it is “ions.” For vous, it is “iez.” And for ils/elles, it is “aient.”
PersonImperfect stemEndingResultEnglish
jeall--aisj’allaisI was going, used to go, kept on going, went
tuall--aistu allaisyou were going, used to go, kept on going, went
il/elleall--aitil allaithe was going, used to go, kept on going, went
nousall--ionsnous allionswe were going, used to go, kept on going, went
vousall--iezvous alliezyou were going, used to go, kept on going, went
ilsall--aientils allaientthey were going, used to go, kept on going, went

Quick & dirty method

  1. Go to the “vous” form of the verb (eg “vous allez” – you go)
  2. Substitute “je,” “tu,” “il,” “elle,” “ça,” “on,” “ils” or “ils” for the word “vous”
  3. This leaves you with something that sounds like “je allez” which becomes “j’allais”
    • There is a slight pronunciation difference, but it is not critical for beginners
  4. The only other things you need to know are that the “nous” form ends in “ions” and the “vous” form ends in “iez.” (“nous allions” – we were going, “vous alliez” – you were going).

Don’t miss out on new posts – subscribe now!

Don’t miss new articles!

Get 1 email a week with new articles about French

We don’t spam! Read more in our privacy policy

Similar Posts

  • piger

    ByFast French

    The verb “piger” is a colloquial term in French that means “to understand” or “to grasp.” It is often used in informal contexts, instead of the usual verb “comprendre,” meaning “to understand.” The verb “piger” is conjugated like a regular -er verb in French, with forms such as “je pige” (I understand), “tu piges” (you…

  • |

    comme

    ByFast French

    The French word “comme” can function either as an adverb or as a conjunction. Adverb As an adverb, “comme” means “how.” Another word that is used similarly is “que.” Conjunction Comme as a conjunction can mean “as” or “like.” Idiomatic expressions Etymology: The word “comme” comes from the Latin word “quam.” In Old French, it…

  • | |

    Devant

    ByFast French

    The French word “devant” can be used as a preposition, as an adverb, or as a noun. Preposition As a preposition, “devant” means “in front of,” “ahead of” or “before.” Adverb As an adverb, “devant” means “in front,” “at the front,” or “ahead.” Noun As a masculine noun, “le devant” means “the front.”

  • pousser

    ByFast French

    The French verb “pousser” means “to push,” “to move,” “to push aside,” “to let out,” or “to grow,” among a variety of different meanings. The green sign in the photo means “Push to open.” To push: “Pousser” mainly means to push or shove. To grow: Expressions and Idiomatic Usage: Etymology: The French verb “pousser” traces…

  • c pronunciation

    ByFast French

    The letter “c” can be pronounced in two different ways in French. It can be hard, like the first “c” in the word “coriace,” meaning “tough,” “leathery,” or “hard-headed,” pronounced [KOH REE AHSS]. Or it can be soft, like the last “c” in “coriace.” How do you know whether a “c” will be hard or…