Imperfect: irregular verbs

What you are learning: the imperfect (l’imparfait) for “was / had / used to do”

J’étais, j’avais, je faisais are the imperfect forms of être, avoir, faire.

• Use it to talk about a background situation in the past.
• Use it for habits / routines (“used to”).
• Use it to describe what things were like (people, places, feelings).

When to choose the imperfect (quick decision guide)

Shortcut: if you can add “used to” in English and it still makes sense, the imperfect is often the right choice.

How it is formed (so you can recognize it quickly)

1. Take the nous form in the present.
2. Remove -ons → this gives the stem.
3. Add the endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient.

The endings: what learners mix up most

• je / tu end in -ais (same sound as “-ait”)
• il / elle ends in -ait
• nous ends in -ions (watch the “i”)
• vous ends in -iez
• ils / elles ends in -aient

Meaning check: imperfect vs “completed past” (what to pay attention to)

The imperfect gives context. It does not say the action is “completed”.

• Imperfect = situation, habit, description: Je faisais du sport après le travail. (That was my routine.)
• Completed past (often passé composé) = one finished event: Hier, j’ai fait du sport. (One specific day.)

Practical cue words that often go with the imperfect: souvent, toujours, d’habitude, à l’époque, quand j’étais…

Self-check before you answer (10 seconds)

1. Am I describing how it was or what I used to do?
2. Is it about age, routine, background, or a state?
3. Did I match the subject with the ending?
   • nous → -ions (nous étions, nous avions, nous faisions)
   • vous → -iez (vous étiez, vous aviez, vous faisiez)