Imperfect tense formation

Level 2

To form the imparfait, use the nous form of the present tense, drop the -ons, and add the fixed endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient.

How It Works

The imparfait is one of the most consistent tenses in French. Follow these three steps:

1. Find the Stem: Take the present tense nous form of the verb and remove the -ons ending.

  • parler → nous parlons → parl-
  • finir → nous finissons → finiss-

Note: For impersonal verbs like falloir or pleuvoir, use the 3rd person singular stem (fall-, pleuv-).

2. Add the Endings: These endings are the same for all verbs:

  • je -ais
  • tu -ais
  • il/elle/on -ait
  • nous -ions
  • vous -iez
  • ils/elles -aient

3. The Exception: The only verb with an irregular stem is être. Its stem is ét- (e.g., j'étais).

Spelling Nuances:

  • For -ger verbs (manger), keep the e before endings starting with a (je mangeais).
  • For -cer verbs (commencer), use a ç before a (je commençais).
  • For verbs ending in -ier or -yer, the 'nous' and 'vous' forms will have a double 'i' or 'yi' (e.g., nous étudiions, vous payiez) because the stem already ends in i or y.

Examples (5)

  1. Quand j'étais petit, je parlais beaucoup.

    When I was little, I used to talk a lot.

    Word by Word: When I was little, I talked much.

    Shows the irregular stem 'ét-' for être and the regular '-ais' ending for parler.

  2. Nous étudiions tous les jours à la bibliothèque.

    We were studying every day at the library.

    Word by Word: We were studying all the days at the library.

    Verbs like étudier keep their stem 'i' before the ending '-ions', resulting in a double 'i'.

  3. Il pleuvait quand nous sommes sortis.

    It was raining when we went out.

    Word by Word: It was raining when we are gone out.

    For impersonal verbs like pleuvoir, the stem 'pleuv-' is used with the 3rd person singular ending '-ait'.

  4. Vous payiez toujours par carte ?

    Were you always paying by card?

    Word by Word: You were paying always by card?

    Verbs ending in -yer like payer keep the 'y' from the stem before the '-iez' ending.

  5. Il fallait partir tôt pour éviter le trafic.

    It was necessary to leave early to avoid traffic.

    Word by Word: It was necessary to leave early for to avoid the traffic.

    The impersonal verb falloir uses the stem 'fall-' in the imparfait.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the wrong stem for the verb 'être'.

    Quand je sommais jeune...
    Quand j'étais jeune...

    Learners often try to use the 'nous' form of être (sommes) to find the stem, but être is the only exception and uses 'ét-'.

  • Forgetting the spelling changes in -ger and -cer verbs.

    Je mangais une pomme.
    Je mangeais une pomme.

    Without the 'e', the 'g' would be pronounced hard (like 'gate'). The 'e' is required before 'a' to keep it soft.

  • Omitting the double 'i' in verbs like 'étudier' for the 'nous' form.

    Hier, nous étudions à la bibliothèque.
    Hier, nous étudiions à la bibliothèque.

    For verbs ending in -ier, the stem ends in 'i' (étudi-). When you add the 'nous' ending '-ions', you must keep both 'i's: nous étudiions.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Imperfect tense formationLevel 2

Learn This First

To form the imperfect tense (imparfait), you must first know how to conjugate verbs in the present tense, specifically the 'nous' form, as this provides the stem. You also need to be familiar with subject pronouns to apply the correct endings.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.