**proble(math)ic** @Dalmaty · 22 avr. 2017, 11:25

**proble(math)ic** @Dalmaty · 22 avr. 2017, 11:25

proble(math)ic @Dalmaty

bonjour douces sorcières 💖
hello sweet witches 💖

**candle🕯️** @candle · 22 avr. 2017, 11:26

**candle🕯️** @candle · 22 avr. 2017, 11:26

@Dalmaty bonjour! 💞

**proble(math)ic** @Dalmaty · 22 avr. 2017, 11:27

**proble(math)ic** @Dalmaty · 22 avr. 2017, 11:27

@candle comment ça va ? (let's try to talk a bit in French!)

**candle🕯️** @candle · 22 avr. 2017, 11:29

**candle🕯️** @candle · 22 avr. 2017, 11:29

@Dalmaty bon, merci! et toi? ajourd'hui j'ai boisse un cafe

(i looked it up, i meant buvait hahahah)

**Louve** @Louvelune · 22 avr. 2017, 11:34

**Louve** @Louvelune · 22 avr. 2017, 11:34

@candle @Dalmaty "i drank" => "j'ai bu"

("je buvais" is a different past form, you'd use it to make the action the background scene of something else happening for example. Not here.)

**candle🕯️** @candle · 2017-04-22T11:36:14Z

candle🕯️ @candle

@Louvelune @Dalmaty can you give an example in english of past tense drinking in the background? duo lingo also mentioned it but i dind't really get it

22 avr. 2017, 11:36 · 0 · 1

**Hiradorable** @Hiraelle · 22 avr. 2017, 11:37

**Hiradorable** @Hiraelle · 22 avr. 2017, 11:37

@candle @Dalmaty @Louvelune I was drinking?

**candle🕯️** @candle · 22 avr. 2017, 11:37

**candle🕯️** @candle · 22 avr. 2017, 11:37

@Hiraelle @Louvelune @Dalmaty ohhh that is a very simple and clear example, thanks!

**Louve** @Louvelune · 22 avr. 2017, 11:40

**Louve** @Louvelune · 22 avr. 2017, 11:40

@Hiraelle @Dalmaty @candle It's only one of the possible English forms, though.

If you were saying "When I was young, I would go out, drink at bars..." => You'd use the French imperfect too: "Quand j'étais jeune, je sortais, j'allais boire au bistro..."

**Louve** @Louvelune · 22 avr. 2017, 11:38

**Louve** @Louvelune · 22 avr. 2017, 11:38

@candle @Dalmaty It's like "I was drinking my coffee, and the phone rang" => "Je buvais mon café, et le téléphone a sonné"

We call this function of the tense "descriptive imperfect": you're painting the scenery, not telling a story of events. (in that particular verb, the whole point is to mix it up with the other past tenses for the actions)