Finir (to finish) · Imparfait
By TutorLily Editorial Team · Last updated
Finir in the French imparfait is: je finissais, tu finissais, il/elle/on finissait, nous finissions, vous finissiez, ils/elles finissaient. The imparfait of finir uses the stem 'finiss-' (from nous form 'finissons') across all six persons. 'Je finissais toujours en retard' = 'I always used to finish late'. The -iss- infix carries through the entire imparfait.
| To Finish | Finir |
|---|---|
| I used to finish | je finissais |
| you used to finish | tu finissais |
| he/she used to finish | il/elle/on finissait |
| we used to finish | nous finissions |
| you used to finish | vous finissiez |
| they used to finish | ils/elles finissaient |
Finir (to finish) in context
Sentences that use finir in the imparfait. Tap each to hear it.
I always used to finish late.
You used to finish when you could.
He always used to finish his plate.
We used to finish very late in those days.
You used to finish your exams in June.
They used to finish their shopping before noon.
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 finir in the imparfait?
When do I use 'je finissais' instead of 'j'ai fini'?
Do all 2nd-group -ir verbs have -iss- in the imparfait?
Practice Finir (To Finish) in real conversations
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