Which One to Use?
French: AQA GCSE (2025 Exams), topic 4.4.1
Imperfect vs Perfect
This is a guide on when you should use the perfect tense and when you should use the imperfect tense in French.
When to use the perfect tense in French
- You use the perfect tense in French to talk about a completed and finished action in the past.
- E.g. Il a regardé la télé.
- He watched the tv or he has watched the tv.
- When you translate into English, you do not need to translate 'has', but you have to write it in French.
When to use the imperfect tense in French
- The imperfect is used for descriptions in the past.
- Il faisait froid.
- It was cold.
- It is also used to talk about an ongoing action in the past.
- Il mangeait son repas.
- He was eating his meal.
- Elle parlait à sa mère.
- She was speaking to her mum.
When to use the imperfect tense in French 2
- When one action interrupts another one in the past, you need to use the imperfect to talk about the interrupted action.
- Je cuisinais quand ils sont arrivés.
- I was cooking when they arrived.
When to use the imperfect tense in French 3
- You also need to use the imperfect to say what used to happen.
- Tous les lundis, je jouais au foot.
- Every Monday I used to play football.
Test yourself on Which One to Use?
What is the correct way to say 'it was cold' in French?