{"id":6442,"date":"2017-07-07T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-07-06T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/blog\/delf-imperfect-tense\/"},"modified":"2021-10-20T10:54:49","modified_gmt":"2021-10-20T08:54:49","slug":"delf-imperfect-tense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/en\/french-grammar-imperfect-tense\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the imperfect tense in French? Structure and examples"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-1 fusion-flex-container nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);background-position: center center;background-repeat: no-repeat;border-width: 0px 0px 0px 0px;border-color:#eae9e9;border-style:solid;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row fusion-flex-align-items-flex-start\" style=\"max-width:calc( 1400px + 0px );margin-left: calc(-0px \/ 2 );margin-right: calc(-0px \/ 2 );\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-0 fusion_builder_column_1_1 1_1 fusion-flex-column\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-start fusion-content-layout-column\" style=\"background-position:left top;background-repeat:no-repeat;-webkit-background-size:cover;-moz-background-size:cover;-o-background-size:cover;background-size:cover;padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px;\"><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-1\"><p>In this article, we talk about the French imperfect tense. Read on to find out:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">When to use the French imperfect tense<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">How to conjugate different verb groups<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Exceptions to the rule<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you want to get chatting in French, you really can\u2019t avoid the imperfect. And although the tense itself might not be, this quick guide truly is perfect!<\/p>\n<p>If you wish to<a href=\"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/en\/general\/french\"> improve your French skills online<\/a> or to take the tests <a href=\"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/en\/exam\/delf\">DELF,<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/en\/exam\/dalf\">\u00a0DALF<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/en\/exam\/tcf\">TCF<\/a>\u00a0revising all our french grammar and conjugation worksheets is always a great idea!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-0{width:100% !important;margin-top : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;}.fusion-builder-column-0 > .fusion-column-wrapper {padding-top : 0px !important;padding-right : 0px !important;margin-right : 0px;padding-bottom : 0px !important;padding-left : 0px !important;margin-left : 0px;}@media only screen and (max-width:1024px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-0{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-0 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 0px;margin-left : 0px;}}@media only screen and (max-width:640px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-0{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-0 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 0px;margin-left : 0px;}}<\/style><\/div><\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">.fusion-body .fusion-flex-container.fusion-builder-row-1{ padding-top : 0px;margin-top : 0px;padding-right : 0px;padding-bottom : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;padding-left : 0px;}<\/style><\/div><div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-2 fusion-flex-container nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);background-position: center center;background-repeat: no-repeat;border-width: 0px 0px 0px 0px;border-color:#eae9e9;border-style:solid;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row fusion-flex-align-items-flex-start\" style=\"max-width:calc( 1400px + 0px );margin-left: calc(-0px \/ 2 );margin-right: calc(-0px \/ 2 );\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-1 fusion_builder_column_1_1 1_1 fusion-flex-column\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-start fusion-content-layout-column\" style=\"background-position:left top;background-repeat:no-repeat;-webkit-background-size:cover;-moz-background-size:cover;-o-background-size:cover;background-size:cover;padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px;\"><div style=\"text-align:center;\"><style type=\"text\/css\">.fusion-button.button-1 .fusion-button-text, .fusion-button.button-1 i {color:#ffffff;}.fusion-button.button-1 .fusion-button-icon-divider{border-color:#ffffff;}.fusion-button.button-1:hover .fusion-button-text, .fusion-button.button-1:hover i,.fusion-button.button-1:focus .fusion-button-text, .fusion-button.button-1:focus i,.fusion-button.button-1:active .fusion-button-text, .fusion-button.button-1:active{color:#fe6c35;}.fusion-button.button-1:hover .fusion-button-icon-divider, .fusion-button.button-1:hover .fusion-button-icon-divider, .fusion-button.button-1:active .fusion-button-icon-divider{border-color:#fe6c35;}.fusion-button.button-1:hover, .fusion-button.button-1:focus, .fusion-button.button-1:active{border-color:#fe6c35;}.fusion-button.button-1 {border-color:#ffffff;border-radius:25px;}.fusion-button.button-1{background: #ff9800;}.fusion-button.button-1:hover,.button-1:focus,.fusion-button.button-1:active{background: #ffaa2b;}.fusion-button.button-1 .fusion-button-text {text-transform:uppercase;}<\/style><a class=\"fusion-button button-flat button-large button-custom button-1 fusion-button-span-no fusion-button-default-type\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/auth.global-exam.com\/register\"><span class=\"fusion-button-text\">Test my level for free<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-1{width:100% !important;margin-top : 30px;margin-bottom : 60px;}.fusion-builder-column-1 > .fusion-column-wrapper {padding-top : 0px !important;padding-right : 0px !important;margin-right : 0px;padding-bottom : 0px !important;padding-left : 0px !important;margin-left : 0px;}@media only screen and (max-width:1024px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-1{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-1 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 0px;margin-left : 0px;}}@media only screen and (max-width:640px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-1{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-1 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 0px;margin-left : 0px;}}<\/style><\/div><\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">.fusion-body .fusion-flex-container.fusion-builder-row-2{ padding-top : 0px;margin-top : 0px;padding-right : 0px;padding-bottom : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;padding-left : 0px;}<\/style><\/div><div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-3 fusion-flex-container nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);background-position: center center;background-repeat: no-repeat;border-width: 0px 0px 0px 0px;border-color:#eae9e9;border-style:solid;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row fusion-flex-align-items-flex-start\" style=\"max-width:calc( 1400px + 0px );margin-left: calc(-0px \/ 2 );margin-right: calc(-0px \/ 2 );\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-2 fusion_builder_column_1_1 1_1 fusion-flex-column\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-start fusion-content-layout-column\" style=\"background-position:left top;background-repeat:no-repeat;-webkit-background-size:cover;-moz-background-size:cover;-o-background-size:cover;background-size:cover;padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px;\"><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-2\"><h2>What is the imperfect?<\/h2>\n<p>The imperfect is <strong>one of the French language\u2019s two main past tenses<\/strong>. In comparison to the passe compose, the imperfect is used to describe <strong>continuous past actions.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-38362\" src=\"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/imperfect-tense-french-e1634720075274.jpg\" alt=\"boys-computer-book-learning-discussing\" width=\"700\" height=\"233\" srcset=\"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/imperfect-tense-french-e1634720075274-200x67.jpg 200w, https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/imperfect-tense-french-e1634720075274-300x100.jpg 300w, https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/imperfect-tense-french-e1634720075274-400x133.jpg 400w, https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/imperfect-tense-french-e1634720075274-600x200.jpg 600w, https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/imperfect-tense-french-e1634720075274-768x255.jpg 768w, https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/imperfect-tense-french-e1634720075274-800x266.jpg 800w, https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/imperfect-tense-french-e1634720075274-1024x340.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/imperfect-tense-french-e1634720075274.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>When do we use it?<\/h3>\n<p>There are many situations where the imperfect comes in handy, but here\u2019s a list of the most frequent situations:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Recurrent actions, e.g. \u201cI used to play piano\u201d<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Describing feelings, e.g. \u201cI was a happy child\u201d<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Describing age and time, e.g. \u201cI was 14 years old\u201d<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">General descriptions in the past, e.g. \u201cIt was cold\u201d<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Ongoing actions punctuated by another action, e.g. \u201cI was on the phone when he arrived\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Conjugating a verb in the French imperfect tense<\/h2>\n<p>The imperfect is the same as the other tenses in French in that <strong>you must conjugate your verb according to the subject<\/strong> in order to use the tense correctly.<\/p>\n<p>To conjugate a verb in the French imperfect tense, simply follow these steps:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Take the nous form of the verb in the present tense<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Remove the <em>-ons<\/em> ending<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Add the appropriate ending according to the subject of the verb:<em> -ais; -ais; -ait; -ions; -iez; -aient.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>Conjugating <em>-er<\/em> verbs in the imperfect<\/h2>\n<p>As you know, the first group of verbs <em>(-er<\/em> verbs) are the simplest verbs to conjugate in French, and the same is true for the imperfect tense.<\/p>\n<p>The table below shows how we can apply the above steps to a verb like <em>jouer:<\/em><\/p>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-985\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-985\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1 odd\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">&nbsp;<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Jouer<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">je<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">jouais<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">tu<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">jouais<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">il, elle<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">jouait<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">nous<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">jouions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">vous<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">jouiez<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">ils, elles<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">jouiaient<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n<h2>Conjugating <em>-ir<\/em> verbs in the imperfect<\/h2>\n<p>The second group of verbs <em>(-ir<\/em> verbs) follow the same process as the first, although the results can be a little different. Have a look at how a verb like <em>finir<\/em> conjugated in the French imperfect tense in the table below:<\/p>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-986\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-986\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1 odd\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">&nbsp;<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Finir<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">je<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">finissais<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">tu<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">finissais<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">il, elle<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">finissait<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">nous<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">finissions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">vous<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">finissiez<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">ils, elles<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">finissaient<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n<p>French pronunciation can be tricky. In the example above, the third person plural is pronounced exactly the same as the first, second, and third persons singular, <strong>even if all four forms are written differently<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>Conjugating <em>-re<\/em> verbs in the imperfect<\/h2>\n<p>The third group is the most varied, with endings in -ir, <em>-dre, -a\u00eetre<\/em> and <em>-o\u00eetre.<\/em> As you will have already seen, <strong>you simply need to learn whether an <em>-ir<\/em> verb falls into the second or third group<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some examples of how verbs in this group conjugate in the French imperfect tense:<\/p>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-987\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-987\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1 odd\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">&nbsp;<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Dormir<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">Venir<\/th><th class=\"column-4\">Prendre<\/th><th class=\"column-5\">Conna\u00eetre<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">je<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">dormais<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">venais<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">prenais<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">connaissais<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">tu<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">dormais<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">venais<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">prenais<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">connaissais<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">il, elle<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">dormait<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">venait<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">prenait<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">connaissait<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">nous<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">dormions<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">venions<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">prenions<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">connaissions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">vous<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">dormiez<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">veniez<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">preniez<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">connaissiez<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">ils, elles<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">dormaient<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">venaient<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">prenaient<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">connaissaient <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n<h2>Conjugating the verb <em>\u00eatre<\/em><\/h2>\n<p>The verb <em>\u00eatre<\/em> (to be) is probably the most important verb in the French language. As an irregular verb, it follows its own rules for conjugating across tenses, but luckily it is the only verb to do so in the imperfect tense.<\/p>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-989\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-989\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1 odd\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">&nbsp;<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">\u00catre<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">je<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">\u00e9tais<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">tu<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">\u00e9tais<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">il, elle<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">\u00e9tait<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">nous<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">\u00e9tions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">vous<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">\u00e9tiez<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">ils, elles<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">\u00e9taient<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n<h2>Exceptions to the rule<\/h2>\n<p>The good news is that <strong>there are very few exceptions to take into account for the French imperfect tense<\/strong>. The only types of verbs to worry about are those ending <em>-cer<\/em> or <em>-ger.<\/em> These verbs generally follow the same pattern, however they both undergo small changes to allow for consistent pronunciation.<\/p>\n<p>Verbs ending <em>-cer<\/em> have a special accent (a cedilla) in the nous form: e.g. <em>nous commen\u00e7ons<\/em>. This accent remains for all forms of the French imperfect tense, excluding the nous and vous forms.<\/p>\n<p>Verbs ending <em>-ger<\/em> conjugate a little differently in the nous form of the present tense, with an additional<em> e<\/em> before the ending. Similarly, this additional<em> e <\/em>remains for all tenses of the imperfect, excluding the nous and vous forms.<\/p>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-990\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-990\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1 odd\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">&nbsp;<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Manger<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">Commencer<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">je<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">mangeais<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">commen\u00e7ais<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">tu<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">mangeais<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">commen\u00e7ais<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">il, elle<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">mangeais<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">commen\u00e7ait<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">nous<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">mangions<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">commencions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">vous<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">mangiez<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">commenciez<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">ils, elles<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">mangeaient<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">commen\u00e7aient<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n<h2>Revising with GlobalExam<\/h2>\n<p>The French imperfect tense isn\u2019t too tricky, but <strong>it requires repetition<\/strong> to get the hang of it.<\/p>\n<p>Luckily, <strong>you can find everything you need to nail it on GlobalExam<\/strong>. Refresh your knowledge with our revision sheets, test your understanding with exercises on the imperfect, and study your progress using our statistics tracker.<\/p>\n<p>Still have questions on the imperfect? GlobalExam is the place for you!<\/p>\n<p>More articles on French conjugation:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/en\/french-grammar-french-conjugation-all-you-need-to-know-about-verbs-and-tenses\/\">French Conjugation: All you need to know about Verbs And Tenses<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/en\/french-grammar-future\/\">French Future Tense: How Does The Conjugation Work?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/en\/french-grammar-past-participle\/\">Past Participle Tense In French: Regular And Irregular Verbs<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/en\/french-grammar-present\/\">French present Tense: How Does The Conjugation Work?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/en\/french-grammar-subjunctive\/\">Subjunctive In French:Practice The Conjugation And Phrases<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/en\/french-grammar-reflexive-verbs\/\">What Are The Reflexive Verbs in French? Worksheets And Exercises<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/en\/french-grammar-conditional-tense\/\">Conditional Tense In French: Understanding The Structure<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-2{width:100% !important;margin-top : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;}.fusion-builder-column-2 > .fusion-column-wrapper {padding-top : 0px !important;padding-right : 0px !important;margin-right : 0px;padding-bottom : 0px !important;padding-left : 0px !important;margin-left : 0px;}@media only screen and (max-width:1024px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-2{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-2 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 0px;margin-left : 0px;}}@media only screen and (max-width:640px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-2{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-2 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 0px;margin-left : 0px;}}<\/style><\/div><\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">.fusion-body .fusion-flex-container.fusion-builder-row-3{ padding-top : 0px;margin-top : 0px;padding-right : 0px;padding-bottom : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;padding-left : 0px;}<\/style><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":38364,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5413,1800,5417],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v17.2.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What is the imperfect tense in French? Structure and examples - GlobalExam Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Amateur of the French language? In this article, GlobalExam digs into the French imperfect tense.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/en\/french-grammar-imperfect-tense\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"fr_FR\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What is the imperfect tense in French? Structure and examples - GlobalExam Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Amateur of the French language? In this article, GlobalExam digs into the French imperfect tense.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/en\/french-grammar-imperfect-tense\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"GlobalExam Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Global.Exam\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-07-06T22:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-10-20T08:54:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/imperfect-tense-french-learning-1-e1611223023481.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1170\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"540\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Global_Exam\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Global_Exam\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"\u00c9crit par\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Dur\u00e9e de lecture estim\u00e9e\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"GlobalExam Blog\",\"description\":\"Le blog du sp\\u00e9cialiste de la certification linguistique\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"fr-FR\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/en\/french-grammar-imperfect-tense\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"fr-FR\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/imperfect-tense-french-learning-1-e1611223023481.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/imperfect-tense-french-learning-1-e1611223023481.jpg\",\"width\":1170,\"height\":540,\"caption\":\"books-desk-study-learning\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/en\/french-grammar-imperfect-tense\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/en\/french-grammar-imperfect-tense\/\",\"name\":\"What is the imperfect tense in French? Structure and examples - GlobalExam Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/en\/french-grammar-imperfect-tense\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2017-07-06T22:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-10-20T08:54:49+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/50fc6f506fe496587b7789d5c174e99d\"},\"description\":\"Amateur of the French language? In this article, GlobalExam digs into the French imperfect tense.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/en\/french-grammar-imperfect-tense\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"fr-FR\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/en\/french-grammar-imperfect-tense\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/en\/french-grammar-imperfect-tense\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"DELF\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/en\/exams\/delf\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"DELF Grammar\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/en\/delf\/delf-grammar\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"What is the imperfect tense in French? Structure and examples\"}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/50fc6f506fe496587b7789d5c174e99d\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/#personlogo\",\"inLanguage\":\"fr-FR\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e8e29f615098aa0e9a914985d7d7d546?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e8e29f615098aa0e9a914985d7d7d546?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What is the imperfect tense in French? Structure and examples - GlobalExam Blog","description":"Amateur of the French language? In this article, GlobalExam digs into the French imperfect tense.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/en\/french-grammar-imperfect-tense\/","og_locale":"fr_FR","og_type":"article","og_title":"What is the imperfect tense in French? Structure and examples - GlobalExam Blog","og_description":"Amateur of the French language? In this article, GlobalExam digs into the French imperfect tense.","og_url":"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/en\/french-grammar-imperfect-tense\/","og_site_name":"GlobalExam Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Global.Exam","article_published_time":"2017-07-06T22:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-10-20T08:54:49+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1170,"height":540,"url":"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/imperfect-tense-french-learning-1-e1611223023481.jpg","path":"\/home\/forge\/global-exam.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/imperfect-tense-french-learning-1-e1611223023481.jpg","size":"full","id":38364,"alt":"books-desk-study-learning","pixels":631800,"type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@Global_Exam","twitter_site":"@Global_Exam","twitter_misc":{"\u00c9crit par":"admin","Dur\u00e9e de lecture estim\u00e9e":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/","name":"GlobalExam Blog","description":"Le blog du sp\u00e9cialiste de la certification linguistique","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"fr-FR"},{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/en\/french-grammar-imperfect-tense\/#primaryimage","inLanguage":"fr-FR","url":"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/imperfect-tense-french-learning-1-e1611223023481.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/imperfect-tense-french-learning-1-e1611223023481.jpg","width":1170,"height":540,"caption":"books-desk-study-learning"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/en\/french-grammar-imperfect-tense\/#webpage","url":"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/en\/french-grammar-imperfect-tense\/","name":"What is the imperfect tense in French? Structure and examples - GlobalExam Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/en\/french-grammar-imperfect-tense\/#primaryimage"},"datePublished":"2017-07-06T22:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2021-10-20T08:54:49+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/50fc6f506fe496587b7789d5c174e99d"},"description":"Amateur of the French language? In this article, GlobalExam digs into the French imperfect tense.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/en\/french-grammar-imperfect-tense\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"fr-FR","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/en\/french-grammar-imperfect-tense\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/en\/french-grammar-imperfect-tense\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"DELF","item":"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/en\/exams\/delf\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"DELF Grammar","item":"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/en\/delf\/delf-grammar\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"What is the imperfect tense in French? Structure and examples"}]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/50fc6f506fe496587b7789d5c174e99d","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/#personlogo","inLanguage":"fr-FR","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e8e29f615098aa0e9a914985d7d7d546?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e8e29f615098aa0e9a914985d7d7d546?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"}}]}},"lang":"en","translations":{"en":6442,"fr":6443},"pll_sync_post":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6442"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6442"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6442\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67155,"href":"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6442\/revisions\/67155"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38364"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6442"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6442"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/global-exam.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6442"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}