Le passé et la traduction
Il pleuvait fort.
- It used to rain hard.
- It rained hard.
- It was raining hard.
- It had rained hard.
La maison était rouge.
- The house was red.
- The house used to be red.
- The house had been red.
Il se levait tous les jours à huit heures.
- He would get up every day at eight o'clock.
- He had gotten up every day at eight o'clock.
- He got up every day at eight o'clock.
- He used to get up every day at eight o'clock.
J'habitais à Paris depuis longtemps avant d'y aller en 1987.
- I had lived in Paris a long time before going there in 1987.
- I used to live in Paris a long time before going there in 1987.
- I lived in Paris a long time before going there in 1987.
Nous regardions la télé depuis midi.
- We were watching TV since noon.
- We used to watch TV since noon.
- We had been watching TV since noon.
Il a plu énormément.
- It had been raining a lot.
- It was raining a lot.
- It rained a lot.
- It did rain a lot.
Il a été une fois à Paris.
- He used to be once in Paris.
- He has been once to Paris.
- He went one time to Paris.
- He had been one time to Paris.
Qui a frappé à la porte?
- Who has knocked on the door?
- Who knocked on the door?
- Who did knock on the door?
- Who was knocking on the door?
- Who had knocked on the door?
Il voulait partir.
- He was wanting to leave.
- He wanted to leave.
- He had wanted to leave.
- He used to want to leave.
Il ne voulait pas partir.
- He wasn't wanting to leave.
- He did not want to leave.
- He had not wanted to leave.
- He didn't used to want to leave.
Il a voulu partir.
- He has wanted to leave.
- He tried to leave.
- He wanted to leave.
- He used to want to leave.
Il n'a pas voulu partir.
- He has not wanted to leave.
- He did not want to leave.
- He refused to leave.
She used to sleep until noon.
- Elle a dormi jusqu'à midi.
- Elle avait dormi jusqu'à midi.
- Elle dormait jusqu'à midi.
She didn't know how to swim.
- Elle ne connaissait pas nager.
- Elle n'avait pas su nager.
- Elle n'a pas su nager.
- Elle ne savait pas nager.
When he was young, he would eat four times a day.
- Quand il a été jeune, il mangerait quatre fois par jour.
- Quand il était jeune, il mangerait quatre fois par jour.
- Quand il était jeune, il mangeait quatre fois par jour.
- Quand il a été jeune, il mangeait quatre fois par jour.
What happened?
- Qu'est-ce qui s'est passé?
- Qu'est-ce qui s'était passé?
- Qu'est-ce qui se passa?
- Qu'est-ce qui est arrivé?
He was eating when the bomb went off.
- Il mangeait, quand la bombe se déclenchait.
- Il a mangé, quand la bombe se déclenchait.
- Il était en train de manger, lorsque la bombe s'est déclenchée.
- Il mangeait, quand la bombe s'est déclenchée.
- Il avait mangé, quand la bombe s'est déclenchée.
I fell down, and in my dream I was falling.
- Je suis tombé, et dans mon rêve, je tombais.
- Je suis tombé, et dans mon rêve, je suis tombé.
- Je suis tombé, et dans mon rêve, j'étais tombé.
- Je suis tombé, et dans mon rêve, j'étais en train de tomber.
He knew her address.
- Il a su son adresse.
- Il savait son adresse.
- Il avait su son adresse.
He didn't know her address.
- Il n'a pas su son adresse.
- Il ne savait pas son adresse.
- Il n'avait pas su son adresse.
He found out her address.
- Il a su son adresse.
- Il savait son adresse.
- Il avait su son adresse.
- Il a appris son adresse.
Il venait de sortir.
- He just stepped out.
- He had just stepped out.
- He had just left.
Il vient d'arriver.
- He just arrived.
- He had just arrived.