Advanced French Past Tenses
Usually imperfect
Some French verbs are nearly always used in the imperfect rather than the passé composé:
- aimer - to like, love
- croire - to believe
- espérer - to hope
- être - to be
- penser - to think
- sembler - to seem
- sentir - to feel
- vouloir - to want
   J'aimais danser quand j'étais jeune.
   I liked to dance when I was young.
   Je croyais en Dieu.
   I believed in God.
   J'espérais gagner.
   I hoped (was hoping) to win.
   J'étais heureux l'année passée.
   I was happy last year.
   Je pensais à mon frère.
   I was thinking about my brother.
   Il semblait trop parfait.
   It seemed too perfect.
   Je me sentais malade pendant toute la journée.
   I felt sick all day.
   Je voulais rentrer après le film.
   I wanted to go home after the movie.
However, these verbs are used in the passé composé when there is a clear indication of the beginning or end of the action of the verb, or when it is obvious that this was a simple action that only occurred once.
   Je n'ai pas aimé le film.
   I didn't like the movie.
   Je ne t'ai pas cru quand tu as dit...
   I didn't believe you when you said...
   Hier, j'ai espéré que tu viendrais ; aujourd'hui, ça m'est égal.
   Yesterday I hoped you would come; today I don't care.
   Quand je l'ai vu, j'ai été surpris.
   When I saw him, I was surprised (just at that moment).
   J'ai pensé à une bonne histoire.
   I thought of a good story.
   Il a semblé disparaître.
   He seemed to disappear (all of a sudden).
   J'ai senti une goutte de pluie.
   I felt a drop of rain.
   Tout d'un coup, j'ai voulu partir.
   All of a sudden, I wanted to leave.
Go on to page two for verbs with different meanings depending on the tense they are used in, and a list of verbal constructions that are always in the imperfect.