Imparfait or passé composé?
Background and habits, or single events.
12 minutes · A free lesson from A2 : La vie quotidienne (everyday life) · Roman and Urdu pronunciation guides and English meanings are shown under each phrase
- Imparfait: background, description, and habits in the past. Il faisait beau. Quand j'étais petit, je jouais au foot.
Imparfait Say eh(n)parfeh ایںپاغفے Means: the imperfect tense (was doing, used to do) Il faisait beau. Quand j'étais petit, je jouais au foot. Say eel fuhzeh boh. kah(n) zhehteh puhtee, zhuh zhwehz oh fut. ایل فَزے بو. کاں ژےتے پَتی, ژَ ژوےز او فُت. Means: The weather was nice. When I was little, I used to play football. - Passé composé: a completed event. Soudain, le téléphone a sonné.
Passé composé Say paseh koh(n)pohzeh پاسے کوںپوزے Means: The passé composé (the perfect tense) Soudain, le téléphone a sonné. Say soodeh(n), luh tehlehfon a soneh. سُودیں, لَ تےلےفون ا سونے. Means: Suddenly, the phone rang.
Je regardais la télé quand mon frère est arrivé. — the imparfait sets the scene; the passé composé interrupts it.
| Je regardais la télé quand mon frère est arrivé. | Say zhuh ruhgardeh la tehleh kah(n) moh(n) frehr eht areeveh. | ژَ غَگاغدے لا تےلے کاں موں فغےغ اےت اغیوے. | Means: I was watching TV when my brother arrived. |
Quick check: Quand j'étais enfant, j'___ à la campagne.Say: kah(n) zhehtehz ah(n)fah(n), zhee, a la kah(n)pany.کاں ژےتےز اںفاں, ژی, ا لا کاںپانی.Means: When I was a child, I … in the countryside. (to live)
- ai habité
- habitais
- habite
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B: habitais
Lesson quiz
Check what you have learned. Choose an answer to see whether it is right, and why.
Quick check: Which tense sets the scene or describes a habit in the past?
- The passé composé
- The imparfait
- The near future
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B: The imparfait — Il faisait beau: the imparfait describes. Le téléphone a sonné: the passé composé tells a single event.
Quick check: Choose the right form: “Soudain, le téléphone ___.”
- a sonné
- sonnait
- sonne
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A: a sonné — Soudain (suddenly) marks a single, completed event, so the passé composé.
Quick check: What does “Je regardais la télé quand mon frère est arrivé” mean?
- I watched TV after my brother arrived.
- I will watch TV when my brother arrives.
- I was watching TV when my brother arrived.
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C: I was watching TV when my brother arrived. — regardais is the background, and est arrivé is the event that interrupts it.