Today we continue the Xi study of the important tenses in the previous article, and after mastering the compound past tense of the straight state form in the previous article, we will take you to learn the Xi straight form of the past tense.
indicatif imparfait
One. Composition
The root part of the first person plural nous (we) in the present tense + ais ais ait ions iez aient
Let's take the first, second and third groups of verbs parler, finir, and devenir as examples
Straight Chen Unperfect Past Tense (lndicatif lmparfait).
je parlaistu parlais
il parlait
nous parlions
vous parliezils parlaient
Roots: parl
NoteSeveral special cases in the first group of verbs
commencer: je commencais
nous commencions
tudier: j'étudiais
nous étudiions
envoyer: j'envoyais
nous envoyions
manger: je mangeals
nous mangeons
Straight ChenImperfect past tense(indicatif imparfait)
je finissais
tu finissais
il finissait
nous finissions
vous finissiez
ils finissaient
Roots: finiss-
Straight ChenImperfect past tense(lndicatif lmparfait)
je devenais
tu devenais
il devenait
nous devenions
vous deveniez
ils devenaient
êter
Verb. Straight ChenImperfect past tense(lndicatif imparfait)
j'tais
tu etais
il etait
nous etions
vous etiez
ils taient
**oir
Verb. Straight Chen Unperfect Past Tense (lndicatif imparfait).
j'**ais
tu **ais
il **ait
nous **ions
vous **iez
ils **aient
Two. Usage:
(1) Indicates the continuation of the condition (la durée):The unfinished past tense is used to denote an action in the past that came out of a continuous state, and the start and end time of such an action is not clear, that is, the action has lasted for a certain period of time.
eg：elle habitait à londre quand elle était petite.
She lived in London as a child.
eg：**ant, je tr**aillais dans l'informatique.
I used to work in the information industry.
(2) Indicates the simultaneity of the action (la simultanéité).: When narrating, it is not uncommon to encounter situations where the action indicated in the past tense has not been completed, and another action has occurred. This kind of situation where one action is still continuing, and another action (or several) actions occur (or complete, or continue), which is called the simultaneity of action.
eg：je regardais la télévison quand il est arrivé chez moi hier soir.
I was watching TV when he came to my house last night.
eg：nous nous apprêtions à sortir quand la pluie a commencé àtomber.It started to rain just as we were about to leave. )
(3) Past actions that indicate Xi inertia or repetitiveness
eg： l'année dernière pendant les vacances d'été, j'allais à la piscine tour lesmatins.
Last summer, I went swimming every morning.
eg：pendant les vacances, je me levais à six heures.
I wake up at six o'clock during the holidays.
(4) The unfinished past tense is often used to describe in literary worksDescribe people, environments, atmosphere, and more.
eg：hier, il faisait beau, je suis allée me promener dans la rue.
Yesterday, the weather was fine and I went for a walk by the river.