In L'Imparfait (Indicatif), almost all the verbs follow the same pattern of conjugation. See Conjugate regular verbs in the imperfect tense in French (L'Imparfait).
However (as usual!), the verb être (to be) is slightly irregular.
Conjugation of ÊTRE (to be) in L'Imparfait (Indicatif) in French
| j' | étais |
| tu | étais |
| il/elle/on | était |
| nous | étions |
| vous | étiez |
| ils/elles | étaient |
Note that être has an irregular stem - ét- - followed by the regular endings in L'Imparfait (Indicatif).
Être in L'Imparfait (Indicatif) is used in a variety of ways where we use very different tenses in English.
Here are some examples:
When to use the French Imperfect Tense (L'Imparfait)
Expressing continuing action with the imperfect tense in French (L'Imparfait)
Expressing past habits or repeated actions with the imperfect tense in French (L'Imparfait)
Expressing opinions and describing with the imperfect tense in French (L'Imparfait)
Want to make sure your French sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Brainmap today »
