A2 French GrammarPast Tenses
Master French past tenses: passé composé for completed actions and imparfait for descriptions and habits.
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1Passé Composé with Avoir
Most verbs form the passé composé with avoir + past participle. The past participle doesn't agree with the subject.
Passé Composé Formation
| Person | Avoir | Participe | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| j' | ai | parlé | I spoke |
| tu | as | fini | you finished |
| il/elle | a | vendu | he/she sold |
| nous | avons | mangé | we ate |
Examples
J'ai mangé une pomme.
I ate an apple.
avoir + past participle
Elle a fini son travail.
She finished her work.
-ir verb: finir → fini
Nous avons regardé un film.
We watched a movie.
-er verb: regarder → regardé
Tu as compris?
Did you understand?
irregular: comprendre → compris
2Passé Composé with Être
Some verbs (movement, reflexive) use être. The past participle agrees with the subject in gender and number.
DR MRS VANDERTRAMP Verbs
| Verb | Meaning | Participle |
|---|---|---|
| aller | to go | allé |
| venir | to come | venu |
| partir | to leave | parti |
| arriver | to arrive | arrivé |
| mourir | to die | mort |
| naître | to be born | né |
Examples
Elle est allée au cinéma.
She went to the cinema.
allée agrees with elle
Ils sont partis hier.
They left yesterday.
partis agrees with ils
Je suis né en France.
I was born in France.
être verb
Elles sont arrivées.
They (f.) arrived.
arrivées agrees with elles
3Imparfait Formation
The imparfait describes past states, habits, or ongoing actions. Use the nous stem + endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient.
Imparfait Endings
| Person | Ending | Parler | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| je | -ais | parlais | I was speaking |
| tu | -ais | parlais | you were speaking |
| il/elle | -ait | parlait | he/she was speaking |
| nous | -ions | parlions | we were speaking |
| vous | -iez | parliez | you were speaking |
| ils/elles | -aient | parlaient | they were speaking |
Examples
Quand j'étais jeune, je jouais au foot.
When I was young, I played soccer.
habit in past
Il faisait beau.
The weather was nice.
description
Nous habitions à Paris.
We lived in Paris.
ongoing state
Elle regardait la télé quand je suis arrivé.
She was watching TV when I arrived.
ongoing action
4Passé Composé vs Imparfait
Use passé composé for completed, specific actions; use imparfait for descriptions, habits, and interrupted actions.
When to Use Each
| Passé Composé | Imparfait |
|---|---|
| Single completed action | Ongoing/habitual action |
| Specific time | Background description |
| Series of events | Interrupted action |
| Change of state | Physical/emotional state |
Examples
Je dormais quand le téléphone a sonné.
I was sleeping when the phone rang.
imparfait + passé composé
Hier, j'ai acheté un livre.
Yesterday, I bought a book.
specific completed action
Avant, j'allais au gym tous les jours.
Before, I went to the gym every day.
past habit
Il pleuvait et il faisait froid.
It was raining and it was cold.
description of conditions
Practice Exercises
4 exercises
Complete: 'Elle ___ au cinéma hier.' (She went to the cinema yesterday.)
Complete: 'J'___ un livre hier.' (I bought a book yesterday.)
Complete: 'Quand j'___ jeune, je jouais au foot.' (When I was young...)
Which sentence is correct for 'The weather was nice'?
See Real Examples in Stories
Now that you've practiced, see this grammar in context
“Samedi dernier, Emma est allée à la bibliothèque municipale pour étudier pour son examen d'histoire.”
“Elle est allée au bureau de M. Johnson et a frappé à la porte.”
“Il faisait une pause chaque jour de dix heures à midi.”
“'J'ai découvert cette vérité quand j'étais jeune et je voulais trouver notre frère.'”
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