avoir imparfait conjugation
Avoir (to have) in the imparfait: avais, avais, avait, avions, aviez, avaient.
Imparfait Imperfect
| j' | |
|---|---|
| tu | |
| il/elle/on | |
| nous | |
| vous | |
| ils/elles |
ending regular · irr breaks the pattern · tap a form to hear it
When to use the imparfait
The imparfait describes the past as background: habits (“used to”), ongoing actions (“was doing”), descriptions and states. Être is the only verb with an irregular imparfait stem (ét-).
How it is formed
Take the nous form of the present, drop -ons and add ais, ais, ait, ions, iez, aient: nous finissons → je finissais.
Avoir is irregular here. 6 of 6 forms break the pattern (dark tiles above).
Avoir in a sentence
- J'ai un chat noir.I have a black cat.
- Nous avions faim ce matin.We were hungry this morning.
Irregular; used as auxiliary for most verbs in compound tenses.
FAQ
What is the imparfait of avoir?
Avoir in the French imparfait: j' avais, tu avais, il/elle/on avait, nous avions, vous aviez, ils/elles avaient.
Is avoir irregular in the imparfait?
Yes. 6 of 6 forms break the regular pattern: j' avais; tu avais; il/elle/on avait; nous avions; vous aviez; ils/elles avaient.
When do you use the French imparfait?
The imparfait describes the past as background: habits (“used to”), ongoing actions (“was doing”), descriptions and states. Être is the only verb with an irregular imparfait stem (ét-).
How is the imparfait formed?
Take the nous form of the present, drop -ons and add ais, ais, ait, ions, iez, aient: nous finissons → je finissais.
Full avoir conjugation, all tenses →
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