Avoir (to have) · Imparfait
By TutorLily Editorial Team · Last updated
Avoir in the French imparfait is: j'avais, tu avais, il/elle/on avait, nous avions, vous aviez, ils/elles avaient. The imparfait of avoir describes ongoing past possession or states: 'j'avais un chat' (I had a cat — back then), 'il avait peur' (he was afraid — ongoing state). The stem 'av-' comes from the nous form 'avons'.
| To Have | Avoir |
|---|---|
| I used to have | j'avais |
| you used to have | tu avais |
| he/she used to have | il/elle/on avait |
| we used to have | nous avions |
| you used to have | vous aviez |
| they used to have | ils/elles avaient |
Avoir (to have) in context
Sentences that use avoir in the imparfait. Tap each to hear it.
When I was ten, I loved reading.
You looked tired yesterday.
He had a small dog when he was young.
We had many friends at school.
You were right on that point.
They had a big house in the countryside.
Working with the imparfait
The imparfait paints the background of a past scene: weather, age, habits, descriptions, ongoing actions that get interrupted. "Il faisait nuit" (it was nighttime), "j'avais cinq ans" (I was five years old), "je marchais quand tu m'as appelé" (I was walking when you called me). The imparfait is almost completely regular — the stem comes from the nous form of the present (nous parlons → je parlais), with only être being truly irregular (j'étais). The contrast with passé composé is the single most important past-tense distinction in French: imparfait = background or habitual; passé composé = completed event.
Frequently asked questions
How do you conjugate avoir in the imparfait?
When do I use 'j'avais' instead of 'j'ai eu'?
What does 'il y avait' mean?
Practice Avoir (To Have) in real conversations
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