What is the difference between the passé composé and imparfait?

The passé composé is used to express a completed action in the past, whereas the imparfait can be used to describe an ongoing state or action, or something that used to happen.Passé composécomplete actionJ’ai fini mes devoirs.(I finished my homework)countedJ’ai perdu mon livre deux fois.(I lost my book twice)newÀ ce moment, j’ai détesté l’école.(At that moment, I hated school)Imparfaitincomplete actionJe faisais mes devoirs.(I was doing my homework)uncountedJe perdais constamment mon livre.(I always used to lose my book)ongoing/continuousJ’aimais l’école.(I liked school)Here's a sentence that uses both tenses...Je faisais mes devoirs quand le téléphone a sonné.(I was doing my homework when the phone rang)

Answered by Esmat H. French tutor

1832 Views

See similar French GCSE tutors

Related French GCSE answers

All answers ▸

Que faites-vous pour protéger l'environnement?


Savoir vs. Connaître - How to know the difference?


How do I form the conditional tense?


How do I know the gender of a new word?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact usWhatsapp logoMessage us on Whatsapptelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

© MyTutorWeb Ltd 2013–2025

Terms & Conditions|Privacy Policy
Cookie Preferences