French Past Tenses: Passé Composé vs Imparfait

Basic Difference

Passé composé describes completed actions, while imparfait expresses continuous or habitual past actions.

Passé Composé

Formation:

• Auxiliary verb (avoir or être) in present tense + past participle
• Most verbs use avoir
• Select verbs use être (movement, states of being)

Common Uses:

1. Completed actions
2. Actions with specific time
3. Sequential events
4. Actions with clear beginning/end

Example Sentences:

1. "J'ai mangé une pomme" (I ate an apple)

• Uses passé composé because it's a completed action

2. "Elle est arrivée à 8h" (She arrived at 8:00)

• Uses passé composé with être because 'arriver' is a movement verb

3. "Nous avons visité Paris l'année dernière" (We visited Paris last year)

• Uses passé composé because it happened at a specific time

Imparfait

Formation:

• Take "nous" form of present tense
• Remove -ons
• Add endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient

Common Uses:

1. Ongoing past actions
2. Habitual past actions
3. Descriptions in the past
4. Setting the scene
5. Emotions and states of being

Example Sentences:

1. "Il pleuvait quand je suis sorti" (It was raining when I went out)

• Uses imparfait for ongoing weather condition

2. "Quand j'étais petit, je jouais au foot" (When I was little, I used to play soccer)

• Uses imparfait for habitual past action

3. "La maison était grande et belle" (The house was big and beautiful)

• Uses imparfait for past description

Using Them Together

Pattern Examples:

1. "Je lisais (imparfait) quand le téléphone a sonné (passé composé)"

• Reading was ongoing when phone rang (specific event)

2. "Il faisait beau (imparfait) quand nous sommes allés (passé composé) à la plage"

• Weather was ongoing when we went to beach (specific event)

Key Indicators

Passé Composé Indicators:

• Specific dates/times
• Hier (yesterday)
• La semaine dernière (last week)
• Une fois (one time)
• Soudain (suddenly)

Imparfait Indicators:

• Souvent (often)
• Toujours (always)
• D'habitude (usually)
• Tous les jours (every day)
• Pendant que (while)

Practice Tips

1. When telling a story, use imparfait for background information: "Il faisait froid et le vent soufflait" (It was cold and the wind was blowing)

2. Use passé composé for the main events: "Tout à coup, j'ai vu un oiseau" (Suddenly, I saw a bird)

Remember: Think about whether the action is:

• A completed event → Passé composé
• An ongoing or repeated situation → Imparfait
• A description of the past → Imparfait
• A specific one-time event → Passé composé