Passé Composé vs Imparfait: Choosing the Right Tense

This is the lesson that brings the two main past tenses together. Choosing between the passé composé and the imparfait is one of the most important decisions in French grammar. Both describe the past, but from completely different perspectives.

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The Core Distinction

Passé Composé	Imparfait
What happened	What was happening / What things were like
Completed action	Ongoing or habitual action
Foreground event	Background description
Specific moment	General state

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Decision Framework: Five Questions

1. Is this action completed with a clear beginning, end, or result?

• Yes → Passé composé: J'ai acheté une voiture.
• No → Imparfait: Je voulais acheter une voiture.

2. Did this happen once (or a countable number of times)?

• Yes → Passé composé: Je suis allé à Paris trois fois.
• No (habitual) → Imparfait: J'allais à Paris chaque été.

3. Am I describing a state, feeling, or condition?

• Yes → Imparfait: Il faisait froid et j'avais faim.
• No (action/event) → Passé composé: Il a fait un gâteau.