A2BeginnerVerbs · Point 14 / 40
c'était, il y avait, il faisait, j'étais, on était, je pensais
The imparfait describes the background of the past, not the precise action.
| Form | Pattern | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| c'était | — | “c’était” describes how something was. |
| il y avait | — | “il y avait” describes what was there. |
| il faisait | — | “il faisait” describes what the weather was like. |
| j'étais | — | “j’étais” describes the speaker’s state or occupation at the time. |
| on était | — | “on était” describes a shared situation in the past. |
| je pensais | — | “je pensais” describes what was on someone’s mind at that moment. |
The imparfait describes the background of the past: what it was like, what there was, what you thought. The passé composé tells the event; the imparfait paints the situation around it.
Examples from our dialogues 5 · 5 with audio
- Listen
Oui, c'était délicieux, merci.
Yes, it was delicious, thank you.
Check The Full DialogueAsking for the bill
- Listen
Non, c'était trop rapide. Il y avait beaucoup de monde.
No, it was too fast. There were a lot of people.
Check The Full DialogueReporting a theft at the police station
- Listen
Exactement. On était dans la même cohorte au cégep, il y a une éternité.
Exactly. We were in the same cohort at cégep, ages ago.
Check The Full DialogueBeing introduced to a friend's partner at a get-together
- Listen
Bonjour ! Je pensais qu'on pourrait organiser une petite fête de Noël pour les gens de l'immeuble.
Hello! I was thinking we could organize a small Christmas party for the people in the building.
Check The Full DialogueOrganizing a Christmas party with neighbours
- Listen
C'est vrai ! J'étais pas mal occupé avec le déménagement de ma fille.
True! I was quite busy with my daughter's move.
Check The Full DialogueChatting with a neighbour
Common mistakes
Hier, ça a été très froid et il y a eu beaucoup de neige.Hier, il faisait très froid et il y avait beaucoup de neige.
To describe the weather or the atmosphere, use the imparfait, not the passé composé. The passé composé is for the event: “Hier, j’ai pris l’autobus.”
Practise speaking
Au restaurantDining out
Booking, ordering, paying the bill — the French of dining out.
These dialogues use this point. They open on the dialogue page (audio, vocabulary to save).