Être Imparfait Conjugation
Use the chart, examples, and video below to learn how to conjugate être in the imparfait (imperfect) tense.
Être: Imparfait Conjugation Chart
| PRONOUN | CONJUGATION |
|---|---|
| j' | étais |
| tu | étais |
| il/elle/on | était |
| nous | étions |
| vous | étiez |
| ils/elles | étaient |
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Examples: how to conjugate être in imparfait tense
Here are some examples of conjugating être in imparfait (imperfect) form:
Auparavant, j'étais une activiste communautaire.
In the past, I was a community activist.
Je pensais que nous étions amies.
I thought that we were friends.
Je voulais savoir si vous étiez sérieux.
I wanted to know if you were serious.
Tips:
- Être is an irregular verb.
- Don’t worry about memorising all the imparfait conjugations by heart. Through speaking and listening on a regular basis, you’ll develop an intuitive feel for the rules and exceptions when conjugating verbs.
- If you want help with grammar, or you just want to become fluent in French, you may want to take personalised 1-on-1 lessons. At LanguaTalk, we find the very best online tutors, and many of them offer lower rates than you’d find in your area. You can check tutors’ reviews and videos, and consider booking a free trial session (no card required).
Reminder of what the French personal pronouns mean:
- je = I
- tu = you (singular informal)
- il/elle = he/she
- on = we (formal)
- nous = we (informal)
- vous= you (singular formal OR plural (both formal and informal))
- ils/elles = they
How to conjugate être in the imperfect tense - recommended video:
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