Look at these uses of L'Imparfait:
Je lisais tous les jours.
I used to read every day.
Tu étudiais chaque jour.
You used to study each day.
Il jouait au football quand il était petit.
He played football when he was small.
Tous les étés, nous allions dans le sud de la France.
Every summer, we would go to the South of France.
Ma mère me berçait dans ses bras jusqu'à ce que je m'endorme.
My mother used to rock me in her arms until I fell asleep.
Note that one of the uses of L'Imparfait is to express actions that repeated in the past, or past habits (e.g. I would go every summer, I used to play, ...).
Note that in English you can use used to or would, but you can also use the Simple Past (i.e. I played) to express habits and repeated actions.
Other uses for L'Imparfait:
Expressing continuing action in L'Imparfait (imperfect tense)
Describing and expressing opinions in L'Imparfait (imperfect tense)
See also how to combine L'Imparfait and Le Passé Composé: Using Le Passé Composé on its own or with L'Imparfait
And to see how to conjugate in L'Imparfait: Conjugate regular verbs in L'Imparfait (imperfect tense) and Conjugate être in L'Imparfait (imperfect tense)
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Tous les étés, nous allions dans le sud de la France.
Every summer, we would go to the South of France.
Je lisais tous les jours.
I used to read every day.
Ils chantaient toute la journée.
They used to sing all day.
Tu étudiais chaque jour.
You used to study each day.
Vous étiez très méchants quand vous étiez enfants.
You used to be so naughty when you were children.
Nous allions à la plage le matin.
We used to go to the beach in the morning.
Nous mangions des bonbons quand nous avions dix ans.
We ate sweets when we were ten years old.
Ma mère me berçait dans ses bras jusqu'à ce que je m'endorme.
My mother used to rock me in her arms until I fell asleep.
Il jouait au football quand il était petit.
He played football when he was small.
Q&A
Chris
Kwiziq community member
5/02/19
Without any other clue, its exact temporal interpretation would be left open. One would wait for the speaker to provide some context.
Scott
Kwiziq community member
6/02/19
Thank you Chris
Chris
Kwiziq community member
23/01/19
Your answer seems just fine to me. Don't know why it was marked as incorrect.
Cécile
Kwiziq language super star
24/01/19
Hi Linda,
If you use the ‘Report it’ button on your Correction Board it will link directly to the quiz you are referring to and it will make it easier for us to answer your question...
Linda
Kwiziq community member
24/01/19
I did and they instructed me to go here
Cécile
Kwiziq language super star
25/01/19
Will flag it up Linda...
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
25/01/19
Bonjour Linda !
I've had a look at the question you mentioned, and I'm a bit confused, as the answer "You used to come to see me every week." is not an option we offer, therefore can't possibly be the one you selected...
The three possible answers are (with the correct one in green here):
You used to come and see me every week
You come to see me every week
You had come to see me every week
I hope that's helpful!
Bonne journée !
Linda
Kwiziq community member
25/01/19
Why isn't 'you had come to see me every week' incorrect?
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
25/01/19
Bonjour Linda !
It is incorrect, the only correct option here is "You used to come and see me every week"
Linda
Kwiziq community member
25/01/19
thanks sometimes I get too literal in my translations
Shrey
Kwiziq community member
22/12/18
Also why the verb "être" in this sentence is used in "Imparfait" ? Can't Passé Composé be used ?
Shrey
Kwiziq community member
22/12/18
I have also observed a sentence like-
"C'était un match entre l'Angleterre et la France."
Why can't Passé Composé be used?
In the previous post too I had doubts with " Il était petit" which I still am unable to figure out even after re-reading the lessons.
Madame Cécile, aidez-moi s'il vous plaît.
Chris
Kwiziq community member
22/12/18
Verbs of state, ones that describe a state of being or emotions, are most often in th imperfect than the perfect. Être is such a word, as it describes a state and not an action.
Shrey
Kwiziq community member
22/12/18
Merci would like Madame Cécile to expand a bit
Cécile
Kwiziq language super star
22/12/18
Hi Varsha,
In the example you quote, you cannot say, quand j'ai été petit and 'ça a été un match' for the reasons given by Chris above.
Verbs of state like, être, paraître, sembler, croire, penser describe duration which is conveyed by using the 'imparfait' in French and they are seldom in the 'passé composé'.
The imparfait is normally translated into English by,
something you did on a regular basis, you used to do, or would do frequently at that period of time - when you were a child.
Hope this helps!
Shrey
Kwiziq community member
22/12/18
Merci beaucoup Madame Cécile
Really grateful for your help
Chris
Kwiziq community member
3/09/18
David
Kwiziq community member
12 July 2018
1 reply
Tu m’accompagnais à l'école tous les matins
In the quiz I was marked wrong for selecting "You were accompanying me to school every mornming" for the translation of this sentence. It wanted "You used to accompany me to school every morning". Yet in another lesson (https://progress.lawlessfrench.com/my-languages/french/view/3132?rts=%252Fsearch%253Fs%253Dhabitude) you associate "used to" with "avoir d'habitude". To me (and Google Translate) that makes "You used to accompany me to school every morning" an inappropriate translation here. The other one, although less common than the obvious" You accompanied me to school every morning" seems the more appropriate choice.
Alan
Kwiziq community member
12/07/18
I think you should trust the translations on this site more than Google Translate, but still, if you ask Google to translate "You used to accompany me to school every morning" into French, it does give "Tu m'accompagnais à l'école tous les matins".
Cécile
Kwiziq language super star
12/04/18
Hi Gio,
In this sentence 'je m'endorme' is in the present subjunctive because 'jusqu'à ce que' is always followed by a subjunctive.
Hope this helps!
Chris
Kwiziq community member
7/03/18
Hi Dragana,
yes, there is a problem with being able to post full questions. A lot of people suffer from it. I did bring it to the attention of the kwiziq team. If you want, why not send them a mail (under Tools > Help & Support).
Yes, "je m'endorme" is subjunctive; "je m'endors" would be indicative.
About your second question: you could also say "les bras" but in this case "ses bras" just stresses the fact that they belong to the mother since there is more than one person involved.
-- Chris (not a native speaker).
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
26/01/18
jennifer
Kwiziq community member
26 March 2019
3 replies
Tu étudiais chaque jour. You used to study each day.
Tu étudiais chaque jour.You used to study each day.
This cannot mean - you were studying each day? If not, how would I write that?
I thought that - Les oiseaux chantaient = The birds 'were' singing, not 'used to sing'...
Cécile
Kwiziq language super star
26 March 2019
26/03/19
Hi Jennifer,
The imparfait can translate both meanings of 'used to' and 'were doing' so the only way you would know would be by the context.
'You were studying every day' ,would be -
Tu étudiais chaque jour
jennifer
Kwiziq community member
26 March 2019
26/03/19
that is what I thought Cécile, but your site gave the other answer - You 'used to' study each day for 'Tu étudiais chaque jour'. I always it difficult to analyse the context in just a phrase in your tests... But thank you for your response.
jennifer
Kwiziq community member
26 March 2019
26/03/19
that is what I thought Cécile, but your site gave the other answer - You 'used to' study each day for 'Tu étudiais chaque jour'. I always it difficult to analyse the context in just a phrase in your tests... But thank you for your response.