Passé Composé vs Imparfait
Updated October 28, 2026
In French, use the passé composé for completed actions that move a story forward (je suis allé, j'ai mangé) and the imparfait for background, descriptions, habits and actions in progress (il faisait beau, j'étais fatigué). WanderMundo's Story mode lets you practice both by telling your own stories.
What is the difference between the passé composé and the imparfait?
The passé composé tells what happened. The imparfait describes what things were like and what was already going on.
A quick test: if you could put "and then" in front of the verb, choose the passé composé. If the verb paints the scene or describes a habit, choose the imparfait. "Je suis rentré" (I came home) is an event. "Il pleuvait" (it was raining) is the scene around it.
When to use each tense
| Use the passé composé for | Use the imparfait for |
|---|---|
| A completed action: J'ai mangé une crêpe. | Description and weather: Il faisait beau. |
| A sequence of events: Je me suis levé, j'ai pris un café et je suis sorti. | Time and age: Il était dix heures. J'avais douze ans. |
| A specific number of times: Je suis allé à Paris trois fois. | Feelings and states: J'étais fatigué. |
| The action that interrupts: …quand le téléphone a sonné. | Habits, "used to": Nous jouions toujours au foot. |
| An action in progress: Je dormais… |
How do you form the passé composé?
The passé composé has two parts: the present tense of avoir or être, plus the past participle. Most verbs use avoir: j'ai parlé, tu as fini, il a vendu.
Regular past participles follow the verb ending: parler becomes parlé, finir becomes fini, vendre becomes vendu. Many everyday verbs are irregular, so it pays to learn these early.
Common irregular past participles
| Infinitive | Past participle | |
|---|---|---|
| avoir | eu | |
| être | été | Il a été malade. |
| faire | fait | |
| prendre | pris | |
| voir | vu | |
| dire | dit | |
| mettre | mis | |
| pouvoir | pu | |
| vouloir | voulu | |
| venir | venu |
Which verbs use être in the passé composé?
A small group of verbs, mostly about movement or change of state, use être instead of avoir: aller, venir, arriver, partir, entrer, sortir, monter, descendre, naître, mourir, rester, tomber, retourner, rentrer, devenir and revenir. All reflexive verbs also use être: je me suis levé, elle s'est réveillée.
With être, the past participle agrees with the subject, like an adjective. Add -e for a feminine subject and -s for a plural one: elle est allée, ils sont partis, elles sont arrivées. You usually cannot hear the difference, but you see it in writing.
How do you form the imparfait?
Take the nous form of the present tense, remove -ons, and add the endings -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient. Nous parlons gives the stem parl-, so parler becomes je parlais, tu parlais, il parlait, nous parlions, vous parliez, ils parlaient.
The only verb with an irregular stem is être, which uses ét-: j'étais, tu étais, il était, nous étions, vous étiez, ils étaient. Every other verb follows the nous rule, which makes the imparfait one of the easiest French tenses to form.
| Subject | parler | être |
|---|---|---|
| je | parlais | |
| tu | parlais | |
| il / elle | parlait | était |
| nous | parlions | |
| vous | parliez | |
| ils / elles | parlaient | étaient |
Which words signal each tense?
Some time expressions usually go with one tense. Treat them as hints, not rules: what decides the tense is whether you are telling an event or describing a background.
| Usually passé composé | Usually imparfait |
|---|---|
| hier (yesterday) | toujours (always) |
| soudain (suddenly) | souvent (often) |
| une fois (once) | tous les jours (every day) |
| l'année dernière (last year) | pendant que (while) |
| quand j'étais petit (when I was little) |
A hint can break: "Hier, il faisait froid" uses hier with the imparfait because it describes the weather.
What does a story with both tenses look like?
Read this short original story. Each verb is labeled PC (passé composé) or IMP (imparfait). Notice how the imparfait sets the scene and the passé composé moves the action forward.
- C'était (IMP) un dimanche matin et il faisait (IMP) gris.
- Je voulais (IMP) rester au lit, mais mon chien avait (IMP) faim.
- Alors je me suis levé (PC) et je suis sorti (PC) avec lui.
- Dans le parc, les gens couraient (IMP) et un vieil homme lisait (IMP) le journal.
- Soudain, mon chien a vu (PC) un écureuil.
- Il a tiré (PC) sur la laisse et il est parti (PC) en courant.
- J'ai crié (PC) son nom, mais il n'écoutait (IMP) pas.
- Finalement, le vieil homme a attrapé (PC) la laisse.
- Nous avons ri (PC) ensemble, et depuis ce jour, nous nous saluons chaque dimanche.
What are the most common mistakes?
English speakers tend to make the same five mistakes:
- Using avoir with movement verbs: "j'ai allé" instead of je suis allé.
- Forgetting agreement with être: "elle est allé" instead of elle est allée.
- Translating "was" always as était: "I was in Paris for a week" as a finished period is j'ai été à Paris pendant une semaine, or more naturally je suis resté une semaine à Paris.
- Using the passé composé for descriptions: "il a fait beau" when you are setting the scene, instead of il faisait beau.
- Using the imparfait for a sequence of events: "je me levais, je prenais un café" when you mean one morning, instead of je me suis levé, j'ai pris un café.
Can you try a quick practice exercise?
Choose the right form, then check the answers below.
- Quand j'___ (être) petit, j'___ (aller) à la plage tous les étés. Answer: étais, allais (description and habit).
- Hier, Marie ___ (partir) à huit heures. Answer: est partie (completed event, être verb with agreement).
- Je ___ (regarder) la télé quand tu ___ (appeler). Answer: regardais, as appelé (action in progress, then the interruption).
- Nous ___ (voir) ce film trois fois. Answer: avons vu (specific number of times).
- Il ___ (faire) froid et les enfants ___ (avoir) sommeil. Answer: faisait, avaient (weather and state).
How can I practice the French past tense by telling stories?
Rules click when you use them. In WanderMundo's Story mode you tell an AI tutor about your weekend, a trip or a childhood memory in French. The tutor asks follow-up questions in the past, and when you choose the wrong tense or helper verb, a correction card shows the fixed sentence with a one-line reason in your native language. You can also ask "What can I say?" when you get stuck.
For a broader look at learning French, see our guide to the best app to learn French. If you also study Spanish, the same logic applies in preterite vs imperfect.
Who it's for
- Beginners and intermediate learners who mix up j'ai été and j'étais
- Learners who know the rules but freeze when telling a story
- Anyone who wants to practice the French past tense out loud
Who it's not for
- People looking for a printable grammar textbook
- Learners who only need written exam drills with no speaking
Frequently asked questions
When do you use être in the passé composé?
Use être with a small group of movement and change-of-state verbs (aller, venir, arriver, partir, entrer, sortir, monter, descendre, naître, mourir, rester, tomber, retourner, rentrer, devenir, revenir) and with all reflexive verbs. The participle then agrees with the subject: elle est allée.
Is "j'étais" passé composé or imparfait?
J'étais is the imparfait of être. It describes a state or background: "J'étais fatigué" (I was tired). The passé composé of être is j'ai été.
Which is used more in conversation?
Both are used all the time. The passé composé carries the events of a story and the imparfait carries the background, feelings and habits, so most spoken stories mix them.
Is the passé simple used in speech?
Mostly no. The passé simple appears mainly in writing, such as novels and formal texts. In conversation, French speakers use the passé composé instead.
How can I practice the French past tense?
Tell real stories out loud. In WanderMundo's Story mode you tell an AI tutor about your day or a memory in French, and a correction card fixes every wrong tense or helper verb with a short explanation.
Related guides
Ready to start speaking?
Have your first conversation with an AI tutor in your browser.