# EN: translating imperfect verbs into English



## Nunty

Good morning and happy first Sunday of Advent to those who care! 

My search skills are not the best, but I couldn't find a thread on this subject in the archives.

I often translate from French (and now, occasionally, from Italian), where there are usually very clear reasons for using a verb in the imperfect. Do we have a way of translating this (tense? mood?) into English? Or do I just need to use the present tense? How do we express the past imperfect in English, for example, with an auxiliary verb and the gerund? That is not really satisfactory.

This is surely basic, and it is an embarassment to someone who grew up with English as one of her first languages, but I seem to have forgotten anything I may once have known.

Thank you all, and with apologies to the forer@ who is called, I think, ConfusedLinguist: I don't speak any language really well.


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## panjandrum

Happy Advent to you too  
For those of us confused by technicalities, could you explain (in English of course) the kind of thing you are trying to say that seems not to have a direct English equivalent.


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## bouncy.bouncy

Yes, it would really help to give some sentences, both untranslated and attempted-to-be-translated, so that we could understand.
Every language has a different rules about the imperfect tense, and English doesn't specifically have one. I don't know about French, but I know there are at least 3 ways to express the Spanish Imperfect in English.


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## Nunty

panjandrum said:


> Happy Advent to you too
> For those of us confused by technicalities, could you explain (in English of course) the kind of thing you are trying to say that seems not to have a direct English equivalent.


"But... but Panj! _How_ can I explain if I don't know how to say it," she wailed.

It's an action that started sometime in the past, continues now and for all we know will keep on continuing in the future. The recent manifest/reveal thread had a bit of this problem, too.

Would it be better to re-start this thread in FE or IE? Since I can't give proper examples here?


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## panjandrum

Does the Verb Tenses section HERE offer any help?

(The question might well be better in a bi-lingual forum.)


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## Nunty

Thank you, Panj. I don't see my specific problem, there, but it would certainly be a good idea for me to work those verb tense tutorials! I *had thought* that the question *would be *better here with all the English mayvens, but now I* understand* that my idea* was* mistaken. (Hey kids! How many verb tenses can _you_ fit into one sentence?)

Would you (or another moderator) be kind enough to wave a magic wand and make this thread appear in French-English? Thanks


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## panjandrum

Hold tight - close eyes - for the magic carpet ride to French-English.


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## Nil-the-Frogg

Could anyone please tell me _where _this "English-French" forum is anyway? I can't find it on the index page...


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## Nunty

You are here, Nil. The French-English forum is also the English-French one.


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## Nil-the-Frogg

Nun-Translator said:


> You are here, Nil. The French-English forum is also the English-French one.


Oh, my bad! So I suppose you posted it in the "English" forum. Thanks for the tip.


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## carolineR

I am not sure I understand your problem, to be honest 
Would translating this :"I had thought that the question would be better here with all the English mayvens, but now I understand that my idea was mistaken" help you ?
Je croyais que la question serait mieux à sa place ici avec tous ces Britanniques, (mayvens ?), mais maintenant je me rends compte que je me trompais


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## Nunty

Going from English to French, it works and I don't have a problem. But in the other direction... 

Maybe this is a non-issue? Maybe I'm just being dense?

Don't understand.


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## RocketGirl

I'm sorry N-T... I think your question is just too complicated for my little brain.


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## Erin_R

The imperfect can be translated into English in several ways:

1. Pierre lisait - Pierre *was reading*
La ville dormait - the town *was sleeping*
Ils faisaient beaucoup de bruit - they *were making* a lot of noise

2. M. Dupont s'arretait toujours au cafe quand il avait le temps - M.Dupont always *used to* stop at the cafe when he had the time, or 
M. Dupont *would* always stop at the cafe when he had the time

3. Il etait tard - it *was* late
J'avais faim - I *was* hungry

Does that help at all?


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## Nunty

YES! It's the second case that gives me trouble. What do we call that?
Thank you, Thérèse.


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## Erin_R

As to what we call it, I'm afraid I have no idea! Both are verb forms that refer to an habitual action in the past - that's the best I can do!


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## chapteryx

Therèse et al... the tense in English is commonly known as the past continuous, and often also as the imperfect. And your examples are most eloquent indeed. Thank you.


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