Imperfect: regular verbs

Imparfait : verbes réguliers

L’imparfait décrit une situation passée ou une habitude : je parlais, nous finissions, vous mangiez.

(The imparfait describes a past situation or a habit: je parlais, nous finissions, vous mangiez.)

Teacher explanation

What the imparfait is used for (in real life)

Ongoing background action in the past: what was happening.
Habitual actions: what you used to do regularly.
States and descriptions: how things/people were.
Context around a specific event (often with quand / pendant que).

Imparfait = background	Passé composé = main event
Je finissais le rapport… Nous attendions l’ambulance…	…quand l’ambulance est arrivée. …et j’ai appelé le 15.

How to form it quickly (one reliable method)

Take the nous form in the present.
Remove -ons → you get the stem.
Add the endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient.

Infinitive	Present “nous”	Stem	Imparfait example
parler	nous parlons	parl-	je parlais
finir	nous finissons	finiss-	vous finissiez
attendre	nous attendons	attend-	ils attendaient

Good news: these endings are the same for -er, -ir, and -re verbs. Only the stem changes.

Meaning check: which English idea are you expressing?

“was/were + -ing” → often imparfait

Nous attendions l’ambulance. = We were waiting for the ambulance.
“used to / would (habit)” → often imparfait

Quand j’habitais à Lyon, j’appelais le SAMU si besoin. = When I lived in Lyon, I used to call…
“happened once / finished action” → often passé composé

J’ai appelé le SAMU. = I called (one specific time).

Very common pattern: “when” and “while” in past stories

Pattern	Typical tense choice	Example
pendant que (while)	imparfait + imparfait	Nous attendions dehors pendant que les pompiers arrivaient.
quand (when)	imparfait (background) + passé composé (event)	Je finissais la formation quand l’incendie a commencé.

Tip: if you can say “in the middle of…”, you probably want the imparfait.

Pronunciation trap: many forms sound the same

je / tu / il / ils often sound identical: parlais, parlait, parlaient.
So in writing, rely on the subject + the correct ending.

Looks different	Often sounds like
je parlais / tu parlais / il parlait / ils parlaient	“par-lay” (same sound)

Spelling points students often miss

-ions / -iez are for nous and vous only.

~~Nous finissais~~ → Nous finissions
Verbs like “appeler” change spelling in the stem:

~~j’appellais~~ → j’appelais (one l, one p)
Imparfait stem comes from “nous”, not from the infinitive.

nous finissons → stem finiss- → je finissais

Self-check: choose imparfait if these are true

It was ongoing (“in progress”).
It was a habit or repeated situation.
It is a description/state (weather, feelings, context).
You are setting the scene for a specific event.

Mini test: Can you add “at that time” or “in those days” naturally? If yes → imparfait.

What you should be able to do now

Form the imparfait from the present nous form.
Pick the right ending quickly: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient.
Use it to narrate past context: background + event.

The imparfait of regular verbs is formed by adding the endings -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient to the verb stem.

Verbe -ER (-ER verb)	Verbe -IR (-IR verb)	Verbe -RE (-RE verb)
Je parlais (I was speaking)	Je finissais (I was finishing)	J'attendais (I was waiting)
Tu parlais (you were speaking)	Tu finissais (you were finishing)	Tu attendais (you were waiting)
Il parlait (he was speaking)	Il finissait (he was finishing)	Il attendait (he was waiting)
Nous parlions (we were speaking)	Nous finissions (we were finishing)	Nous attendions (we were waiting)
Vous parliez (you were speaking)	Vous finissiez (you were finishing)	Vous attendiez (you were waiting)
Ils parlaient (they were speaking)	Ils finissaient (they were finishing)	Ils attendaient (they were waiting)

Exercise 1: Multiple choice

Instruction: Choose the correct answer

1. Quand j'habitais à Lyon, j'_____ le SAMU si quelqu'un se sentait très mal.

2. Pendant l'alerte, nous _____ l'ambulance devant l'immeuble.

3. Vous _____ la formation de premiers secours quand l'incendie a commencé.

4. Les pompiers _____ vite et rassuraient les voisins.

Exercise 2: Rewrite the phrases

Instruction: Rewrite the sentences in the past tense using the imperfect (e.g.: Today I work. → Before, I was working.).

Show/Hide translation Show/Hide hints

Aujourd'hui, je parle français au travail.

⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
Avant, je parlais français au travail.
(Before, I spoke French at work.)
En ce moment, tu finis ton rapport le soir.

⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
À cette époque, tu finissais ton rapport le soir.
(At that time, you were finishing your report in the evening.)
Cette semaine, il attend le bus devant l'hôpital.

⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
Cette semaine-là, il attendait le bus devant l'hôpital.
(That week, he was waiting for the bus in front of the hospital.)
Aujourd'hui, nous parlons avec le client par téléphone.

⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
Avant, nous parlions avec le client par téléphone.
(Before, we talked to the client by phone.)