In a nutshell, the imparfait is used for incomplete actions while the passé composé is reserved for completed ones, but of course it’s more complicated than that. Incomplete vs Complete Imparfait explains what was happening, with no indication of when or even if it ended.

What’s the difference between the imparfait and the passé composé? Deciding between the imparfait and the passé composé can be tricky; although both are past tenses, they are used in very different contexts and cannot be used interchangeably.

Sep 12, 2012 · The French imperfect tense (l'imparfait) is used to describe ongoing or repeated past actions. Endings include -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez and -aient. French has two main past tenses: The passé composé and the imperfect (l'imparfait).

In this article, we’re answering the question of when to use imparfait vs passé composé. We’ll start by taking a look at each tense in turn, exploring the most common ways to use them and some examples. We’ll then compare the two side by side, highlighting when and how to choose between imparfait vs passé composé. Let’s jump in!

Feb 17, 2025 · In this guide, we will break down the structure, uses, and key differences between passé composé and imparfait, providing clear explanations and practical examples to help you master these essential tenses.

Feb 19, 2025 · French doesn’t just have one past tense—it has two main ones: passé composé and imparfait. Each serves a different purpose, and mastering them will allow you to tell stories, describe past events, and communicate fluently in French.

Mastering the use of the passé composé in French and the imparfait is a crucial step in becoming proficient in French. These tenses serve distinct purposes, with the passé composé being used for specific, completed actions and the imparfait for descriptions and habitual actions.

May 10, 2023 · The imparfait describes how someone was and tells us that his anger was building up (taking place over a period of time). The passé composé tells us what that anger led to. In this case, unfortunately, it was violence.

Jan 4, 2022 · L’imparfait (= imperfect tense) is very widely used in modern French. It works alongside the passé composé that we’ll see below. L’imparfait = habits (“used to”) or long actions in the past (“was + -ing”) For instance: Je marchais = “I was walking” or “I used to walk.” I made a whole lesson on this tense, by the way.

Mar 20, 2024 · With the passé composé, we want to understand what happened (the events), whereas with the imparfait, we want to know what was happening at the time the event took place (the context).