The imparfait is also used in some special constructions. IMPARFAIT - BACKGROUND, STORY BACKDROP - WEATHER, TIME, APPEARANCES, EMOTIONAL/PHYSICAL STATES, CONDITIONS, THINGS HAPPENING PASSÉ COMPOSÉ - THESE ARE THE SPECIFIC THINGS THAT HAPPENED
When telling a story or describing a past event, use the imparfait for providing background information and describing the settings and use the passé composé to describe the specific events that happened. Nous regardions la télé quand papa est rentré. I was telling a story when you interrupted me. Je racontais une histoire quand tu m'as interrompu. Il était trois heures quand le telephone a sonné. When action A was happening (imparfait), action B (passé composé) occurred.ĪCTION A WAS HAPPENING (IMPERFECT) WHEN SPECIFIC ACTION B (PASSÉ COMPOSÉ) OCCURED. It’s possible to use the imparfait and the passé composé together in the same sentence. PASSÉ COMPOSÉ - HAPPENED AT SPECIFIC TIME, WHAT HAPPENED, WHAT SOMEBODY DID IMPARFAIT - ACTION IN PROGRESS, GOING ON/WERE DOING Use the passé composé to describe a specific thing that happened at a specific time. Things that were happening or things that people were doing. Use the imparfait to describe things that were in progress. For specific events use the passé composé and for habitual events use the imparfait. These serve as good hints for which tense to choose. Last weekend I went skiing with a friend.Ĭertain time expressions indicate whether to use the imperfect or the passé composé. Le weekend dernier, j'ai fait du ski avec un ami. PASSÉ COMPOSÉ - SPECIFIC ACTIONS & OCCURRENCES When I was a child I used to/would ski every weekend.Įn été, j'allais dans une colonie de vacances avec mes amis.ĭuring the summer, used to/would go to a summer camp with my friends.
Quand j'étais un enfant, je faisais du ski tous les weekends. The passé composé focuses on specific actions and past events that started and stopped at specific times. It is the “used to do” or “used to be” tense. The imparfait is used to describe repeated or ongoing actions and conditions. Pierre a dîné au restaurant avec sa petite amie. We went to the beach with the entire family Nous sommes allés à la plage ave toute la famille. J'ai joué un match de foot avec mes amis.
Un jour (one day), le 17 septembre (on Sept. The passé composé is used to describe specific actions or events that occurred at specific times while the imparfait is used to describe things that used to occur regularly.ĭ'habitude, en général, habituellement (usually) The tenses are perfectly regular.In French there are two main tenses for describing actions that happened in the past. You are not just talking about a blunt fact, but more about a tragedy that, with a bit of imagination, you might almost see happening before your eyes.ģ) Here, depuis deux jours dénudait les arbres is just the background for the action cesser. But the author chose the imparfait for the same reason that you might say: in -365, the temple that took the Greek 120 years of time and energy was being taken down by Érostrate, instead of in -365 Érostrate destroyed a temple. We could use passé composé and then plus-que-parfait. 2 facts, one being anterior to the other. We need the passé composé for the most recent and the plus-que-parfait for the other one.Ģ) Here, this could be the same things. Whereas the imparfait is for something that lasts in time and serves as a background for something else.ġ) This is the most regular of the sentences you provided. Something punctual, or at least the conclusion of something that lasted. Just to complete it a little:įirst of all, keep in mind that the passé composé is used for a fact.