Imparfait vs Passé Composé: Choosing the Right Past Tense
Getting Started
Passé composé tells you what happened. Imparfait tells you what things were like or what was going on at the time. Most learners already know how to conjugate both tenses — what actually costs marks on the TEF/TCF writing and speaking sections is choosing the right one. This lesson teaches exactly that decision.
1. How Imparfait Is Formed
Most verbs form the imparfait the same easy way: drop -ons from the nous present-tense form, then add -ais/-ais/-ait/-ions/-iez/-aient. This rule looks the same across every group — -ER, -IR, -RE — and even for a verb that’s irregular in the present tense, like faire:
| Infinitive | Nous (present) | Stem | je / tu / il-elle | nous / vous / ils-elles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| habiter (-ER) | nous habitons | habit- | habitais / habitais / habitait | habitions / habitiez / habitaient |
| choisir (-IR) | nous choisissons | choisiss- | choisissais / choisissais / choisissait | choisissions / choisissiez / choisissaient |
| vendre (-RE) | nous vendons | vend- | vendais / vendais / vendait | vendions / vendiez / vendaient |
| faire (irregular) | nous faisons | fais- | faisais / faisais / faisait | faisions / faisiez / faisaient |
Note: even when a verb is irregular in the present tense (faire’s je/tu/il forms are fais/fais/fait, nothing like the nous form), the imparfait only needs the nous form — once you know that, the rule is always the same. avoir follows the same pattern (nous avons → j’avais, tu avais…) — être is the one exception:
| Subject | être |
|---|---|
| je | étais |
| tu | étais |
| il/elle | était |
| nous | étions |
| vous | étiez |
| ils/elles | étaient |
2. When Imparfait Wins
A repeated habit: Quand j’étais petit, je jouais au parc tous les jours. (When I was little, I played at the park every day.)
Background — state, weather, age: Il faisait beau. Elle avait vingt ans. (The weather was nice. She was twenty.)
An ongoing state, before it gets interrupted: Je regardais la télé… (I was watching TV…)
Describing something with an adjective: La maison était belle. Il était fatigué. (The house was beautiful. He was tired.) — describing what someone or something was like with an adjective always takes imparfait, even if that state changed later.
3. When Passé Composé Wins
A specific, completed event: Hier, j’ai travaillé jusqu’à minuit. (Yesterday, I worked until midnight.)
A sudden onset of emotion or realization: Soudain, j’ai compris la situation. (Suddenly, I understood the situation.)
The event that interrupts an ongoing state: …quand le téléphone a sonné. (…when the phone rang.)
4. The Most Common Pattern: “I was [imparfait]-ing when [passé composé] happened”
This shows up everywhere in French narrative — background plus interruption:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je regardais la télé quand le téléphone a sonné. | I was watching TV when the phone rang. |
| Il pleuvait quand nous sommes sortis. | It was raining when we went out. |
| Elle dormait quand quelqu’un a frappé à la porte. | She was sleeping when someone knocked at the door. |
| Nous nous amusions à la fête et soudain, nous avons vu un voleur. | We were having fun at the party and suddenly we saw a thief. |
Note! The same pattern works with a pronominal verb too: the background in the last example is a pronominal verb (nous nous amusions) — it behaves exactly like any other verb here: background in imparfait, interruption in passé composé.
The biggest trap: the two verbs can never share the same tense here. The background is always imparfait; the interruption is always passé composé.
5. Signal Words
| Points to imparfait | Points to passé composé |
|---|---|
| tous les jours (every day) | hier (yesterday) |
| le dimanche (on Sundays) | soudain (suddenly) |
| quand j’étais petit (when I was little) | l’année dernière (last year) |
| souvent (often) | un jour (one day) |
Note: these words are strong signals, not guarantees — always check what the whole sentence actually means, not just one word.
6. Quick Check
- Le dimanche, nous ___ (aller) à l’église. (a Sunday habit) → allions
- Hier, j’ ___ (travailler) jusqu’à minuit. (a specific day’s event) → ai travaillé
- Il ___ (pleuvoir) quand nous sommes sortis. (background) → pleuvait
- Soudain, j’ ___ (comprendre) la situation. (a sudden change) → ai compris
Get 4 out of 4, and the pattern has stuck — now it’s just a matter of practice.
What’s Next
Pair this lesson with Passé Composé Basics and être and avoir, then practise with the Imparfait vs Passé Composé game.
FAQ
What is the biggest difference between imparfait and passé composé?
Imparfait describes an extended state, habit, or background situation. Passé composé describes one specific, completed event. 'Je regardais la télé' (I was watching TV — an ongoing state) versus 'j'ai regardé la télé' (I watched TV — a completed event).
Why is être's imparfait different from the regular pattern?
Most verbs form their imparfait by dropping -ons from the nous present-tense form (nous habitons → j'habit-ais). être is the exception — its stem is the irregular ét- (j'étais, tu étais...), which has to be memorized separately.
Is there a simple way to decide which tense to use?
Ask yourself: is this a one-time, specific event (passé composé), or is it a habit, state, or background situation (imparfait)? Words like 'yesterday', 'suddenly', and 'last year' point to passé composé; 'every day', 'on Sundays', and 'when I was little' point to imparfait.
Je regardais la télé quand le téléphone a sonné — why are the two verbs in different tenses?
Watching TV is the ongoing background state (imparfait); the phone ringing is the specific moment that interrupts it (passé composé). This 'background + interruption' pattern is the most common use of the two tenses together.