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Conjugation
Objective: Derive the imperfect stem from the present-tense nous form and apply the six imperfect endings, including the irregular stem of être.
| Subject | Ending | parler (imparfait) | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| je | -ais | je parlais | I was speaking |
| tu | -ais | tu parlais | you were speaking |
| il / elle / on | -ait | il parlait | he was speaking |
| nous | -ions | nous parlions | we were speaking |
| vous | -iez | vous parliez | you were speaking |
| ils / elles | -aient | ils parlaient | they were speaking |
Regular -ir verbs of the -issons group insert -iss- into the imperfect stem, so finir produces finissais, not finisais.
Être uses the shared stem ét-, but the ending still changes with the subject. Il takes -ait, and -ions belongs to nous.
Two imperfects appear in one sentence. Étais uses the irregular stem ét-, and jouais uses the regular stem jou-.
The stem comes from nous finissons, which supplies the -iss- insertion. The ending -ions marks the nous form.
Faire has the stem fais-, from the present nous faisons. The form describes background weather, not a completed event.
Boire has the stem buv-, not boiv-. The stem must be taken from the present nous buvons.
The vous form takes the ending -iez. The stem écout- is regular and comes from nous écoutons.
6 exercises · about 9 minutes
The first-person singular takes the ending -ais with a silent s, while -ait belongs to the third-person singular.
The vous form takes -iez, while -ions belongs to the nous form. The two look alike but never cross.
Aller has the stem all-, from the present nous allons. The third-person plural takes the ending -aient.
Être uses the irregular stem ét-. The je form elides to j' before the vowel-initial stem.
On takes the same third-person singular ending as il, so the ending is -ait.