French grammar

Imparfait

The imparfait sets the scene: what was happening, what used to happen, what the world was like. It pairs with the passé composé to give French its characteristic past-tense texture.

Verb stem + -ais / -ais / -ait / -ions / -iez / -aient

Real Examples from Native Speakers

"Donc, c'est moi, donc on avait un certain temps et on pouvait faire des balades à côté de la route principale,"

Ce que les Français pensent des États-Unis

How it works

Formula

Verb stem + -ais / -ais / -ait / -ions / -iez / -aient

This page combines the textbook rule with real-world French: every example is an unscripted clip from a real native speaker. You're hearing how this grammar point sounds in real life, not in a classroom.