If you’re learning French and want to understand the difference between passé composé and imparfait, this guide will help you use both tenses naturally.
They’re both used to talk about the past, but they don’t do the same job.
Let’s see how they work, step by step.
1. How to Use the Passé Composé in French
Think of the passé composé as your camera for specific moments.
It’s used for completed actions, one-time events, or changes that happened at a particular moment in the past.
➡️ It answers the question “What happened?”
Structure:
→ avoir or être (in the present) + past participle
Examples:
- Hier, j’ai regardé un film. → Yesterday, I watched a movie.
- Elle est arrivée à dix heures. → She arrived at ten o’clock.
- Nous avons fini le travail. → We finished the work.
🕐 Common time markers for Passé Composé:
hier, tout à coup, soudain, une fois, puis, après, ce matin…
(= yesterday, suddenly, suddenly once, then, after, this morning…)
Use it when you describe what happened next or when an action moves the story forward.
2. How to Use the Imparfait in French
Now imagine you’re painting a picture of the past.
The imparfait doesn’t describe one single action; it sets the scene and shows habits or ongoing situations.
➡️ It answers the questions “What was happening?” or “What used to happen?”
Reminder of endings:
–ais, –ais, –ait, –ions, –iez, –aient
Examples:
- Quand j’étais petit, je jouais dans le jardin. → When I was little, I used to play in the garden.
- Il faisait beau et les oiseaux chantaient. → It was sunny and the birds were singing.
- Nous regardions la télé quand le téléphone a sonné. → We were watching TV when the phone rang.
🕰️ Common time markers for Imparfait:
à cette époque-là, souvent, tous les jours, d’habitude, avant, pendant que…
(= at that time, often, every day, usually, before, while…)
Use it for habits, descriptions, or background actions that create atmosphere in your story.
3. Using Passé Composé and Imparfait Together
The imparfait sets the scene, and the passé composé tells us what happened.
Example:
Il faisait froid et la neige tombait. Soudain, j’ai entendu un bruit étrange.
→ It was cold and snow was falling. Suddenly, I heard a strange noise.
See the difference?
The first part (imparfait) describes the background; the second part (passé composé) gives the main action.
In short, they complement each other: one paints the scene, the other moves the story forward.
In Short: Passé Composé vs Imparfait
| Passé Composé | Imparfait |
|---|---|
| Tells what happened | Describes how things were or used to be |
| Completed actions | Ongoing or repeated actions |
| Specific moment | Background or habit |
| “Then / once” | “Used to / was doing” |
| hier, soudain, tout à coup | souvent, avant, à cette époque-là |
Quiz: Passé Composé vs Imparfait
Now that we’ve learnt the theory, let’s put everything into practice!
Test yourself with this short quiz and see if you can choose the right tense in context.