French past tenses
Passé composé vs imparfait: how to choose in a story
Both tenses can describe the past. The useful question is not “Which tense means past?” but “What job is this action doing in the story?”
The contrast at a glance
| What you mean | Choose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Background, weather, description or an action already in progress | Imparfait | Il pleuvait et nous attendions le bus. |
| One completed event with a boundary | Passé composé | Le bus est arrivé à huit heures. |
| A repeated past habit | Imparfait | Le dimanche, elle appelait sa grand-mère. |
| A sequence of completed actions | Passé composé | J’ai ouvert la porte, je suis entré et j’ai posé mon sac. |
When both appear in one sentence
A common pattern is an action already in progress plus the event that interrupts it. The ongoing action takes the imparfait; the event takes the passé composé.
Je préparais le dîner quand Léa a téléphoné.
I was preparing dinner when Léa called.
Je préparais is the activity already underway. Léa a téléphoné is the completed event that enters the scene.
Two checks that work better than keywords
1. Can you see the action’s boundary?
If the speaker presents the action as one finished whole, passé composé is likely. If the speaker looks from inside the situation without focusing on its beginning or end, imparfait is likely.
Il a plu toute la nuit.
It rained all night—the night gives the event a complete boundary.
Il pleuvait quand nous sommes sortis.
It was raining—the rain is the background to our departure.
2. Is it a habit or one occasion?
À cette époque, je prenais le train chaque semaine.
A repeated past habit → imparfait.
Mardi dernier, j’ai pris le train de 7 h 10.
One completed occasion → passé composé.
Common mistakes
✗ Je faisais mes courses hier à 15 h, puis je rentrais chez moi.
✓ J’ai fait mes courses hier à 15 h, puis je suis rentré(e) chez moi.
The time and sequence present two completed events, not background.
✗ Ma collègue m’a attendu quand mon train est arrivé.
✓ Ma collègue m’attendait quand mon train est arrivé.
The waiting was already in progress when the train arrived.
Try the decision in FKE
Open the full comparison to examine more minimal pairs and common errors, then review the passé composé lesson for formation and auxiliary choice.
Practise passé composé vs imparfait