Ever freeze mid-story in French, wondering: was it j’étais or j’ai été? You’re not alone. The imparfait and the passé composé are the two big past tenses in everyday French. In this lesson, you’ll learn when to use each one, how they work together in real-life situations, and you’ll get plenty of practice to sound natural when you tell your stories.

The big picture: two pasts, two jobs

• Imparfait = background, ongoing or habitual past. Think “used to,” “was/were + -ing,” descriptions.
• Passé composé = completed, one-time, result-focused actions. Think “did,” “happened,” “finished.”

Put simply: the imparfait paints the scene; the passé composé moves the plot forward.

Imparfait patterns you can trust

The imparfait is regular for most verbs. Take the nous form in the present, drop -ons, then add endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient.

Now let’s practice choosing the right tense in realistic contexts.

Hier soir, je un film quand mon ami a appelé.

Quand j’étais petit, je à la plage chaque été.

Ce matin, elle ses clés.

Elle chez elle pour les prendre.

Time markers that help you decide

Certain adverbs and phrases strongly hint at one tense or the other.

Interrupted actions: the classic combo

When one action was happening and another action interrupted it, French loves imparfait + passé composé.

Put a story in order

Practice hearing how French weaves the two pasts together in a mini-weekend recap.

Quand j’étais arrivé, ils mangeaient. → Quand je suis arrivé, ils mangeaient. Arrival is the interrupting event → passé composé. The ongoing action (ils mangeaient) stays in imparfait. Je étais né en 1995. → Je suis né en 1995. Naître uses être in passé composé to mark a completed event in life.

Fun etymology: imparfait literally suggests “not perfect/complete,” which matches its role describing incomplete, ongoing background. Passé composé is literally a “composed past,” built with an auxiliary (avoir/être) + past participle.

Quick checks you can use

• Can you add “used to” or “was/were -ing” in English? → likely imparfait.
• Is it a single, finished action at a specific time? → likely passé composé.
• Are two actions happening at the same time? → often both in imparfait.
• Did one action interrupt another? → background in imparfait + interrupting event in passé composé.

Mini practice: choose the tense

Try these quick prompts mentally or out loud.

• Hier à sept heures, je (manger) ________.
• D’habitude, ils (prendre) ________ le bus.
• Tout à coup, la musique (s’arrêter) ________. Think: background at a specific clock time? If you’re describing the action in progress → imparfait (je mangeais). Habit? → imparfait (ils prenaient). Sudden event? → passé composé (la musique s’est arrêtée).

Cultural note: sounding natural in French storytelling

In casual conversation, French speakers set scenes in imparfait and advance the plot with passé composé. In literature, you’ll also see the passé simple for narrative events, but in spoken French, the passé composé is the go-to. Listening to radio reports or podcasts, notice how journalists describe background (il faisait nuit, les rues étaient calmes) and then deliver events (vers 22h, la police est arrivée). The rhythm feels cinematic: scene, action, scene, action.

Wrap-up

You’ve learned the essential contrast: imparfait for background/habits, passé composé for completed events and changes. Watch for time markers (souvent vs hier, soudain) and the classic interruption pattern. Keep practicing with your own day: Décris la scène (imparfait), puis raconte ce qui s’est passé (passé composé). Tu tiens déjà une belle histoire — maintenant, tu la racontes comme un·e francophone !