French 2 / Unit 5: Passé Composé vs Imparfait
5.1 The Basic Contrast
Notes
Both tenses talk about the past, but they do different jobs.
| Passé composé | Imparfait |
|---|---|
| Completed actions | Ongoing or repeated actions |
| Events that move the story forward | Background and description |
| Happened once or a set number of times | Habits (used to) |
| Clear start or end | No clear start or end |
- Example: Hier, j'ai mangé une pizza. (one completed event) / Quand j'étais petit, je mangeais souvent de la pizza. (habit)
- Description (weather, age, feelings, time) uses the imparfait: Il était tard et j'étais fatigué.
- A quick test: ask "Is this one event that happened and finished, or a situation or habit?"
Practice
Which sentence uses the correct tense for a single completed event?
A single completed event yesterday uses the passé composé.
Which sentence uses the correct tense for a habit?
Chaque été shows a repeated habit, so the imparfait is used.
Which description belongs in the imparfait?
Weather and time of day describe the background.
Ready for more? Take the Unit 5 test.