This past tense corresponds to "was, were or used to." This tense is used for repeated, continuous, or ongoing actions; as well as for verbs that describe background and circumstances, such as weather, time, and physical, mental, and emotional states. Use the passé composé for actions that happened once and are done. However, verbs that express mental and emotional states that are descriptive in nature are generally used in the imperfect in a past context. These verbs are: aimer, avoir, croire, détester, espérer, être, penser, and préférer.
To form the stem, use the nous form of the present tense and drop the -ons. Then add these endings:
| -ais |
-ions |
| -ais |
-iez |
| -ait |
-aient |
The only exception is être in which you must use the stem ét-, but still the same endings. Verb stems that end in -c must use a cedilla (ç) under the c to make it soft. Verbs stems endings in -g keep the e before all forms except nous and vous.
| être |
| étais |
ay-teh |
étions |
ay-tee-ohn |
| étais |
ay-teh |
étiez |
ay-tee-ay |
| était |
ay-teh |
étaient |
ay-teh |
| commencer |
|
manger |
| commençais |
koh-mawn-seh |
commencions |
koh-mawn-see-ohn |
|
mangeais |
mawn-zheh |
mangions |
mawn-zhee-ohn |
| commençais |
koh-mawn-seh |
commenciez |
koh-mawn-see-ay |
|
mangeais |
mawn-zheh |
mangiez |
mawn-zhee-ay |
| commençait |
koh-mawn-seh |
commençaient |
koh-mawn-say |
|
mangeait |
mawn-zheh |
mangeaient |
mawn-zhay |
Avoir, Devoir, Pouvoir, Savoir, and Vouloir
These verbs change meanings, according to whether they are used in the imperfect or the passé composé.
|
Imperfect |
Passé Composé |
| avoir |
j'avais |
I had |
j'ai eu |
I got, received |
| devoir |
je devais |
I was supposed to |
j'ai dû |
I must have, I had to (and did) |
| pouvoir |
je pouvais |
I was capable |
j'ai pu
je n'ai pas pu |
I was able to (and did), succeeded
I couldn't, failed |
| savoir |
je savais |
I knew |
j'ai su |
I found out, discovered |
| vouloir |
je voulais |
I wanted to |
j'ai voulu
je n'ai pas voulu |
I tried, decided, insisted
I refused |
The imperfect tense is also used with these constructions:
| être en train de + infinitive |
| J'étais en train d'étudier quand vous êtes arrivés. |
I was (in the process of ) studying when you arrived |
| aller + infinitive |
| J'allais sortir quand le téléphone a sonné. |
I was going to leave when the phone rang. |
| venir de + infinitive |
| Je venais de manger, alors je n'avais plus faim. |
I had just eaten, so I wasn't hungry anymore. |
Comparative and Superlative
Comparatives
| aussi (adj or adv) que |
as (adj or adv) as |
| moins (adj or adv) que |
less (adj or adv) than |
| plus (adj or adv) que |
more (adj or adv) than |
| plus de (noun) que |
more (noun) than |
| autant de (noun) que |
as many (noun) as |
| moins de (noun) que |
less (noun) than |
There are some irregularities among bon and bien. Bon is an adjective meaning good, but plus bon is not used (just as more good or gooder is not used in English) so meilleur is used to mean better. Bien is an adverb meaning well, but plus bien is not used either. Mieux is used instead.
Sample Sentences
| She is taller than Colette. |
Elle est plus grande que Colette. |
| I am smarter than you. |
Je suis plus intelligente que toi. |
| Peter runs less quickly than me. |
Pierre court moins rapide que moi. |
| The kitchen is as big as the living room. |
La cuisine est aussi grande que le salon. |
| I have more books than she. |
J'ai plus de livres qu'elle. |
| We have as many cars as he. |
Nous avons autant de voitures que lui. |
Verbs can also be compared with plus/aussi/moins (+ que):
Il travaille moins qu'elle. He works less than she.
Ils dorment plus. They sleep more.
Superlatives
Simply add le, la or les before the comparative if you are using an adjective. With adverbs, always use le. After a superlative, de is used to mean in. If the adjective follows the noun, the superlative follows the noun also, surrounding the adjective.
Sample Sentences
| It's the biggest city in the world. |
C'est la plus grande ville du monde. |
| She is the most beautiful woman in this room. |
Elle est la plus belle femme de cette salle. |
| This neighborhood is the least expensive in Paris. |
Ce quartier est le moins cher de Paris. |
| It's the most dreaded punishment in the world. |
C'est la punition la plus redoutable du monde. |
| She works the most courageously of everyone. |
Elle travaille le plus courageusement de tous. |
In French, you don't use any articles, as compared to English:
Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
