Unit 50 Guidebook: use the imperfect
KEY PHRASES
Use the imperfect
Papa, tu étais vraiment jeune sur cette photo.
Dad, you were really young in this photo.
Dad, you were really young in this photo.
Oui ! Quand j'étais jeune, j'étudiais à Bordeaux.
Yes! When I was young, I was studying in Bordeaux.
Yes! When I was young, I was studying in Bordeaux.
Mon grand-père était en France dans les années soixante.
My grandfather was in France in the sixties.
My grandfather was in France in the sixties.
C'était mieux avant.
It was better before.
It was better before.
Quand j'étais petite, j'habitais en Italie.
When I was little, I was living in Italy.
When I was little, I was living in Italy.
Je travaillais à New York.
I was working in New York.
I was working in New York.
TIP
I was an imparfait student
We've already seen one way to talk about the past in French: the passé composé.
J'ai acheté une maison.
I bought a house.
I bought a house.
But if you want to describe something you used to do or how something used to be, you'll use a verb form called imparfait.
Let's start by looking at the je, tu, and il / elle forms.
Quand j'étais à l'université, j'étudiais le français.
When I was in college, I studied French.
When I was in college, I studied French.
Quand tu étais étudiant, tu habitais à Paris.
When you were a student, you were living in Paris.
When you were a student, you were living in Paris.
Quand il était jeune, il aimait étudier.
When he was young, he loved studying.
When he was young, he loved studying.
Je travaillais à Paris.
I worked in Paris.
I worked in Paris.