French Past Tenses Overview

Overview

This lecture explains the difference between the French past tenses "passé composé" and "imparfait," their formation, usage, and key distinctions.

The Passé Composé (Past Tense)

• Used to express specific, completed actions in the past at a precise time.
• Formed by conjugating the auxiliary verb "avoir" or "être" in the present and adding the past participle of the main verb.
• Example: "Yesterday I had breakfast and then I went to work" (specific actions).
• Used for punctual events: "John received a gift"; "Anna and Stella came home at eight p.m."
• Like an action movie: focus is on the action at a given moment.

The Imparfait (Imperfect Tense)

• Used to describe situations, states, or repeated/habitual actions in the past.
• Formed using the stem from "nous" in the present plus imperfect endings.
• Pronunciation differences exist (e.g., Paris vs. Toulouse accent).
• Expresses background, setting, or ongoing conditions: "I was sitting in front of the sea and the sun was shining."
• Used for habits: "During my childhood, I slept with my blanket every night."
• Like a painting or documentary: paints the scene or daily life.

Using Passé Composé and Imparfait Together

• Imparfait sets the context or background; passé composé marks the main action.
• Example: "I was sleeping peacefully (imparfait), but my phone rang (passé composé) and woke me up (passé composé)."

Common Difficulties & Distinctions

• Both tenses may be possible but with different nuances (action vs. description).
• Defined period uses passé composé ("I studied at university for 5 years"); indefinite period uses imparfait ("Before, I studied at university").
• Quantity (total times) uses passé composé ("I cleaned twice"); frequency uses imparfait ("I cleaned twice a week").
• "Toujours" (always) and "jamais" (never): Passé composé implies the action continues into present; imparfait refers to a finished past habit.
• With context + action: "While I was driving (imparfait), a bee stung me (passé composé)."
• State verbs like "être" (to be), "sembler" (to seem), and "paraître" (to appear) usually take imparfait in descriptions.

Key Terms & Definitions

• Passé composé — French past tense for completed, specific actions.
• Imparfait — French past tense for ongoing states, descriptions, or repeated actions.
• Auxiliary verb — A helping verb ("avoir" or "être") used to form compound tenses.
• State verb — A verb describing a condition or state, often used with imparfait.

Action Items / Next Steps

• Practice forming and choosing between passé composé and imparfait with provided examples.
• Review pronunciation of imperfect endings.
• Be attentive to context (action vs. description) in past tense usage.