Imparfait vs Passé Composé: French Past Tenses Explained

This transcript is edited for readability. The French examples follow the video; punctuation and English grammar are corrected. Bracketed notes clarify grammar or the opening joke. They are editorial additions, rather than words spoken in the recording.

00:00 — A clearer way to think about the past

Still confused about when to use imparfait or passé composé? Almost every French learner struggles with this. But what if I told you there is a simple way to master both once and for all? In less than 20 minutes, you will finally understand when to use each one without hesitating. Enjoy your coffee, and let’s break this down together. Ready? Let’s go.

We often hear French learners say, “I know the rules, but when I speak, I freeze.” Maybe this sounds familiar. You guess, hesitate or even skip the past tense altogether. But here is the thing: the real problem is not your French grammar. It’s just that no one ever explained these two past tenses clearly and simply.

So today, we are changing that. I am going to share an easy mental image to make it stick, real-life examples you will actually use, and a mindset shift to make it feel natural when you speak. Let’s walk through it together, step by step. By the end, you will be confident using both tenses in real conversations.

01:18 — The movie and the painting

Here is an easy way to think about it. The passé composé is like a movie. It shows clear actions that move the story forward, one scene after another. Imparfait, on the other hand, is like a painting. It gives you the background details, the mood, the atmosphere. In a story, the passé composé tells you what happened, while the imparfait describes what was going on behind the scenes.

Let’s take these two examples: “J’ai couru.” That’s a complete action. “Je courais.” That’s the ongoing scene. Keep that image in mind—the movie versus the painting. It will really help you.

02:10 — When to use passé composé

All right. Let’s take a closer look at the first one, the passé composé. We use it for actions that happened and are now finished. For example: “Hier, j’ai mangé une pizza.” It’s done: one clear moment, one result. We also use it to tell a story step by step: “Il est entré, il a parlé, il est parti.” Each action is quick, completed one after another.

Here is another common use. When one action interrupts another, the interruption is in passé composé: “Je dormais quand le téléphone a sonné.” The ringing interrupts the sleep, so it’s passé composé. If you can ask yourself “What happened?”, it’s probably passé composé.

03:09 — Building passé composé

Now that you know when to use it, let’s break down how to build it. Forming passé composé is quite easy: subject plus auxiliary, avoir or être in the present tense, plus past participle.

First, pick the auxiliary verb that goes with your verb, either avoir or être. We usually use avoir, but some verbs of movement or change use être, like aller, venir, arriver and partir.

Two: conjugate your auxiliary in the present tense. For avoir: j’ai, tu as, il/elle a, nous avons, vous avez, ils/elles ont. For être: je suis, tu es, il/elle est, nous sommes, vous êtes, ils/elles sont.

Then, add the past participle of your main verb. For -er verbs, replace -er with -é: parler → parlé. For -ir verbs, replace -ir with -i: finir → fini. For -re verbs, replace -re with -u: vendre → vendu. [These are the three models illustrated in the lesson. The -ir and -re shortcuts do not cover every verb with those endings.]

Let’s try one: how would you say “I ate” in passé composé? The verb manger plus the auxiliary avoir in the present tense, j’ai, plus the past participle: “J’ai mangé.”

Now, one important detail. If you are using être, the past participle must agree with the subject’s gender and number, just like an adjective. If the subject is a woman, add -e: “Elle est allée.” If it’s plural, add -s: “Ils sont allés.” If it’s both, add -es: “Elles sont allées.” [This subject-agreement rule applies to the non-pronominal examples here. Pronominal verbs also take être but have additional agreement rules.]

With avoir, the past participle usually doesn’t change, regardless of the subject: “J’ai mangé. Il a mangé. Elles ont mangé.” Same ending every time. There is one exception if a direct object comes before the verb, but we will save that for another video. That’s how you build the passé composé: simple, clear, done.

But stories aren’t just about what happened. They are also about how things were—the mood, the setting—and that’s where the imparfait comes in.

06:35 — When to use imparfait

Now, let’s talk about the imparfait. Remember, it’s the painting. It sets the scene, the background. We use it to describe what was happening, or lasted, or repeated, or simply to paint the atmosphere. For example: “Il faisait beau. Les oiseaux chantaient.” Here, you are describing the scene, the mood.

We also use it for past habits: “J’avais l’habitude de lire tous les soirs.” And for sharing memories or feelings: “Quand j’étais petit, je rêvais de voler.” If you can answer the question “What was happening?”, you are probably in imparfait territory.

By now, you are starting to see the difference between imparfait and passé composé, right? If you are still feeling a little bit lost, don’t worry. We’ve got a step-by-step study guide waiting for you in the description. It’s perfect for practising at your own pace, no matter your level. Oh, I forgot to say—it’s free.

07:54 — Forming imparfait and practising jouer

Now that you know when to use imparfait, let’s master how to form it. Forming imparfait is pretty regular. First, start with the nous form of the present tense. Let’s take three verbs: nous parlons, nous finissons, nous vendons. Why? Because it’s the most regular form in French, unlike je or tu, which can be tricky.

Next, remove the -ons ending to get the base: nous parlons → parl-, nous finissons → finiss-, nous vendons → vend-. Then add these endings: je -ais, tu -ais, il/elle -ait, nous -ions, vous -iez, ils/elles -aient.

Je parlais, finissais, vendais. Tu parlais, finissais, vendais. Il/elle parlait, finissait, vendait. Nous parlions, finissions, vendions. Vous parliez, finissiez, vendiez. Ils/elles parlaient, finissaient, vendaient. Simple, right?

There is just one irregular verb in the imparfait: être. [For verbs with a present nous form, être has the exceptional stem. Impersonal falloir has no present nous form; its imparfait is il fallait.] Instead of using the nous form, nous sommes, it has its own base, ét-. Its conjugation is: j’étais, tu étais, il/elle était, nous étions, vous étiez, ils/elles étaient. Just like all the other verbs, you add the usual imparfait endings to this base.

Your turn: how would you say “When I was little, I played”? Correct: “Quand j’étais petit, je jouais.” You start with nous jouons, drop -ons, get the base jou-, add -ais for je, and get je jouais.

Before I reveal the five small details even advanced learners miss—the ones that make your French sound truly natural—let’s see how to mix imparfait and passé composé. This will change everything.

10:52 — Mixing the two tenses

Now, this is where it gets really interesting. In any story, the imparfait sets the scene. It describes the mood, the atmosphere, the background—what was going on. Meanwhile, the passé composé tells what actually happened: the events that interrupt or push the story forward.

For example: “Je marchais dans la rue quand soudain un chien a aboyé.” The walk is ongoing, so that’s imparfait. The dog barking is a sudden event, so that’s passé composé. This combo makes your French sound more natural instantly.

You can actually use two ongoing actions happening at the same time with the imparfait: “Je lisais pendant qu’il cuisinait.” Both actions happen side by side, with no interruption—just a parallel scene. But what if something suddenly happens during that moment? You guessed it: you switch to passé composé. “Je lisais pendant qu’il cuisinait, quand le téléphone a sonné.” This contrast between ongoing actions and interruptions is the key.

12:21 — Five useful contrasts

Here is the final step that will take your French from correct to truly natural. Stay tuned: this is worth it. Even advanced learners sometimes miss these subtle points, so listen closely. Master these, and your French will sound more expressive.

One: defined time or not. If you know exactly when an action started and ended, use passé composé. For example: “J’ai étudié trois ans.” It’s completed, finished. But if it’s an ongoing habit or there is no clear timeline, use imparfait: “J’étudiais avant.” No clear start or end, just something repeated. [A time expression alone does not force the tense; the way you present the event matters.]

Two: how many times versus how often? Are you counting how many times something happened, or describing how often? If you can count the number of times, use passé composé. Ask yourself, “How many times?” For example: “J’ai nettoyé deux fois.” But if you are talking about a routine or frequency, use imparfait: “Je nettoyais deux fois par semaine.” [This is a helpful contrast for these examples, not an absolute rule about numbers or frequency.]

Three: toujours and jamais look simple, but their meanings change depending on the tense. Use passé composé for facts that might still be true today: “J’ai toujours fait du sport.” Use imparfait for past habits: “Je faisais toujours du sport.” [The tense and context together establish the time period. Passé composé does not guarantee that a habit is still continuing today.]

Four: when both tenses work but mean different things. Sometimes you can use both, but the meaning changes: “Il a plu”—a specific event. “Il pleuvait”—description or background. Same verb, different effect.

Five: descriptions, feelings and the verb être. When you are describing states of being or how things used to be, with verbs like être, sembler or sentir, use imparfait. “Il était gentil. Elle semblait fatiguée.” [Such verbs can also take passé composé when you present a state or experience as a whole event.]

Once these five contrasts are clear, your French will sound smoother, more expressive and simply more alive.

15:16 — Recap and your next practice

Let’s wrap it up with a quick recap. Use passé composé for completed actions. Use imparfait for background details, habits and descriptions. Together, they help you tell rich, detailed stories in French.

The best way to get comfortable and improve is to practise. Try telling short stories or dialogues. Use imparfait to set the scene, then switch to passé composé to say what actually happened. Over time, you will start feeling the difference naturally. Of course, it takes time, but now you’ve got the tools to talk about your past in French with confidence and ease.

Want to sound even more natural in French? I’ve put together 25 must-know French phrases that native speakers use every day. They are perfect for boosting your fluency and confidence in real conversations. Click the video on screen and start using them right now. See you there.