L'Imparfait: One Formation Rule for (Almost) Every Verb
The imparfait is formed the same way for every French verb: take the nous présent form, drop -ons, add the imparfait endings. Even irregular verbs comply.
The imparfait follows one formation rule for nearly every verb: take the nous form of the present tense, drop -ons, and add -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient. Even irregular verbs like aller and avoir comply - the only true exception is être, which uses the stem ét-.
Quick answer
The imparfait follows one formation rule for nearly every verb: take the nous form of the present tense, drop -ons, and add -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient. Even irregular verbs like aller and avoir comply - the only true exception is être, which uses the stem ét-.
Master the imparfait formation rule with native audio. Get it on the App Store or Google Play.
For when to use imparfait rather than passé composé, see when to use imparfait vs passé composé. This page is the pure formation reference.
The formation rule
Nous-présent stem (drop -ons) + endings -ais/-ais/-ait/-ions/-iez/-aient: parler (nous parlons → parl-) gives je parlais; finir (nous finissons → finiss-) gives je finissais; faire (nous faisons → fais-) gives je faisais.
| Verb | Nous stem | Imparfait (je) |
|---|---|---|
| parler | parl- | je parlais |
| finir | finiss- | je finissais |
| faire | fais- | je faisais |
Even irregular verbs comply
Aller (nous allons → all-, j’allais), avoir (nous avons → av-, j’avais) - the rule holds even for wildly irregular présent-tense verbs. See être conjugation for the full être picture.
The one true exception: être
Ét- stem (j’étais) - doesn’t derive from a nous form the same way; the only genuine exception to the rule.
Pronunciation note
-ais/-ait/-aient all sound identical, /eh/ - spoken imparfait is simpler than it looks on paper. See silent endings for more on this.
One rule, mastered for good
LexiFr teaches imparfait formation with native audio and full conjugation drills.
Free to start - no ads, no streak guilt. Your first 200 words are waiting.
Questions about this note
How do you form the imparfait?
Nous-présent stem (minus -ons) + imparfait endings.
Does the rule work for irregular verbs?
Yes - even aller (j'allais) and avoir (j'avais) follow it.
What's the only exception?
Être, which uses ét- instead of deriving from its nous form.
Are the imparfait endings pronounced differently?
No - -ais, -ait and -aient all sound the same, /eh/.
When do I use imparfait instead of learning it in isolation?
See our passé composé vs imparfait guide for the usage rules.