"Imparfait" in the indicative mode is the standard tense to describe an action happening or that happened in the past, regardless of its start or duration. The "passé composé" is used mostly to refer to a specific moment, not an action over its whole duration. The "passé simple" isn't used anymore, at least in oral French. The imparfait may also be used for modal reasons (for instance after a verb in "present", "passé simple" or "passé composé"), and can also be used to describe an hypothetical action. "Imparfait" in the subjonctive mode is not used in French anymore, because of the ridiculous pedantic sounding ending forms.
"iez" is the vous ending in the imperfect. (For example, aimer --> aimiez.)
The quick rule of thumb when writing or speaking is "Imparfait" is the very near past, i.e. this morning, a few hours ago at most yesterday. Whereas "Passé Composé" is the past, usually a longer time has passed.So for an example:Je buvais du café ce matin. (Imparfait)I drank coffee this morning.J'ai acheté du café la semaine dernière. (Passé composé)I bought coffee last week.
Had is usually in passé composé but it may be in imparfait i had= j'ai eu you had= tu as eu he/she had= il/elle a eu we had= nous avons eu you had (plural/formal)= vous avez eu they had= ils ont eu Passé Composé is used to describe what happened. Imparfait is used to described how things were or using physical and moral descriptions. Example: J'ai eu un verre d'eau chez Natalie. That means: I had a glass of water at Natalie's house. That is what happened: I had it. BUT for Imparfait.... Example: Quand j'avais 4 ans, mon chien a mangé le poisson. That means: When I was 4 years old, my dog ate the fish. That how it was when I was four years old.
23 : Indicatif Présent Indicatif Passé composé Indicatif Imparfait Indicatif Plus-que-parfait Indicatif Passé simple Indicatif Passé antérieur Indicatif Futur simple Indicatif Futur antérieur Subjonctif Présent Subjonctif Passé Subjonctif Imparfait Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait Conditionnel Présent Conditionnel Passé première forme Conditionnel Passé deuxième forme Impératif Présent Impératif Passé Infinitif Présent Infinitif Passé Participe Présent Participe Passé Gérondif Présent Gérondif Passé
Imparfait is used for events that happened a long time ago, while passe compose is used for more recent events. It is important to identify how to use passe compose and imparfait correctly to express past events.
Imparfait will typically refer to an action that lasts in time or was repetitive (a habit). So you will often use it when you would use "was/were doing" and "used to do" in English. Passé composé, by contrast with imparfait, will refer to a "one-off" action - for that in English you would use preterit ("did").
imparfait
"j'avais" (imparfait) or "j'ai eu" (passé composé)
The cast of Imparfait du subjectif - 2011 includes: Raoul Schlechter
In French, "faire" in the imparfait tense is conjugated as "faisais" for the first person singular (je) and "faisait" for the third person singular (il/elle/on). The imparfait is used to describe ongoing actions in the past, habitual actions, or states of being. For example, "Je faisais mes devoirs" means "I was doing my homework" or "I used to do my homework." It sets the scene and provides background information in a narrative.
"Imparfait" in the indicative mode is the standard tense to describe an action happening or that happened in the past, regardless of its start or duration. The "passé composé" is used mostly to refer to a specific moment, not an action over its whole duration. The "passé simple" isn't used anymore, at least in oral French. The imparfait may also be used for modal reasons (for instance after a verb in "present", "passé simple" or "passé composé"), and can also be used to describe an hypothetical action. "Imparfait" in the subjonctive mode is not used in French anymore, because of the ridiculous pedantic sounding ending forms.
It's passé composé. Imparfait would be "Je naissais...".
"iez" is the vous ending in the imperfect. (For example, aimer --> aimiez.)
Imparfait only the verb;pase compose 2 parts avoir or etre & the verb not the infinitive form like I was lookING in Eng in french voir & vu
The quick rule of thumb when writing or speaking is "Imparfait" is the very near past, i.e. this morning, a few hours ago at most yesterday. Whereas "Passé Composé" is the past, usually a longer time has passed.So for an example:Je buvais du café ce matin. (Imparfait)I drank coffee this morning.J'ai acheté du café la semaine dernière. (Passé composé)I bought coffee last week.
The word 'imparfait' may be an adjective in French. As such, it may mean imperfect, as of an image; incomplete, as of a work; and partial, as of a cure. The word also may be used as a noun. As such, perhaps its most common use is the name of the verb tense that's the French equivalent of the English imperfect. The French imperfect tense may be expressed in the indicative mood [of reality] or the subjunctive mood [of wishes].