It is the time of describing, expressing imperfect actions and actions that lasted in the past for an undefined period of time.
Formation: the base is 1 person plural indicatif présent . We cut off -ons ending and add the appropriate imparfait tense endings. The only exception is the verb être (to be).
Examples:
| singulier | pluriel | |
| 1 | parlais | parlions |
| 2 | parlais | parliez |
| 3 | parlait | parlaient |
| singulier | pluriel | |
| 1 | finissais | finissions |
| 2 | finissais | finissiez |
| 3 | finissait | finissaient |
| singulier | pluriel | |
| 1 | devais | devions |
| 2 | devais | deviez |
| 3 | devait | devaient |
Wyjątek: czasownik être:
| singulier | pluriel | |
| 1 | étais | étions |
| 2 | étais | étiez |
| 3 | était | étaient |
In 1st and 2nd person plural verbs of the 1st conjugation in -cer, -ger have a slight irregularity:
placer – plaçons – plaçais – ale: placions, placiez
nager – nageons – nageais – ale: nagions, nagiez.