9.1. Ce que j’aimais faire

Describing What You Liked to Do in the Past

9.1.1. The Main Idea

To describe what you used to like doing or liked doing in the past, French often uses the imparfait.

J’aimais lire.	I liked to read. / I used to like reading.
J’aimais jouer au tennis.	I liked to play tennis. / I used to like playing tennis.
J’aimais regarder des films.	I liked to watch movies. / I used to like watching movies.

The imparfait is useful for past habits, repeated actions, descriptions, and things that used to be true.

9.1.2. Aimer in the Imparfait

j’aimais	I liked / I used to like
tu aimais	you liked / you used to like
il aimait	he liked / he used to like
elle aimait	she liked / she used to like
nous aimions	we liked / we used to like
vous aimiez	you liked / you used to like
ils aimaient	they liked / they used to like
elles aimaient	they liked / they used to like

9.1.3. Aimer + Infinitive

Use aimer + infinitive to say what someone liked to do.

J’aimais écouter de la musique.	I liked to listen to music.
J’aimais regarder des films.	I liked to watch movies.
J’aimais lire.	I liked to read.
J’aimais faire du sport.	I liked to exercise / do sports.
J’aimais sortir avec des amis.	I liked to go out with friends.
J’aimais étudier le français.	I liked to study French.

9.1.4. Other Preference Verbs in the Past

j’adorais	I loved / I used to love
je préférais	I preferred / I used to prefer
je détestais	I hated / I used to hate
je n’aimais pas	I did not like / I used to not like

Examples:

J’adorais danser.	I loved dancing.
Je préférais lire.	I preferred reading.
Je détestais attendre.	I hated waiting.
Je n’aimais pas faire les devoirs.	I did not like doing homework.

9.1.5. Common Past-Time Expressions

quand j’étais enfant	when I was a child
quand j’étais jeune	when I was young
avant	before
à l’époque	at the time / back then
tous les jours	every day
souvent	often
d’habitude	usually
le week-end	on weekends
après l’école	after school

9.1.6. Examples with Past Context

Quand j’étais enfant, j’aimais jouer dehors.	When I was a child, I liked playing outside.
Quand j’étais jeune, j’adorais regarder des dessins animés.	When I was young, I loved watching cartoons.
Avant, je préférais écouter de la musique.	Before, I preferred listening to music.
À l’époque, je n’aimais pas étudier.	Back then, I did not like studying.
Le week-end, j’aimais sortir avec des amis.	On weekends, I liked going out with friends.

9.1.7. Asking What Someone Liked to Do

Tu aimais faire quoi avant ?	What did you like to do before?
Qu’est-ce que tu aimais faire avant ?	What did you like to do before?
Quand tu étais enfant, tu aimais faire quoi ?	When you were a child, what did you like to do?
Vous aimiez faire quoi avant ?	What did you like to do before? formal or plural

9.1.8. Negative Sentences

Place ne… pas around the verb.

J’aimais lire.	I liked to read.
Je n’aimais pas lire.	I did not like to read.
J’adorais sortir.	I loved going out.
Je n’adorais pas sortir.	I did not love going out.
Je préférais étudier le soir.	I preferred studying in the evening.
Je ne préférais pas étudier le soir.	I did not prefer studying in the evening.

9.1.9. Core Patterns

J’aimais + infinitive.	I liked to ___ / I used to like ___ing.
J’adorais + infinitive.	I loved to ___ / I used to love ___ing.
Je préférais + infinitive.	I preferred to ___ / I used to prefer ___ing.
Je n’aimais pas + infinitive.	I did not like to ___.
Quand j’étais enfant, j’aimais ___ .	When I was a child, I liked ___.
Tu aimais faire quoi avant ?	What did you like to do before?

9.1.10. Practice

I liked to read. |

I loved listening to music. |

I preferred watching movies. |

I did not like doing homework. |

When I was a child, I liked playing outside. |

Back then, I liked going out with friends. |

What did you like to do before? informal |

When you were young, what did you like to do? |

9.1.11. Answers

I liked to read.	J’aimais lire.
I loved listening to music.	J’adorais écouter de la musique.
I preferred watching movies.	Je préférais regarder des films.
I did not like doing homework.	Je n’aimais pas faire les devoirs.
When I was a child, I liked playing outside.	Quand j’étais enfant, j’aimais jouer dehors.
Back then, I liked going out with friends.	À l’époque, j’aimais sortir avec des amis.
What did you like to do before? informal	Tu aimais faire quoi avant ?
When you were young, what did you like to do?	Quand tu étais jeune, tu aimais faire quoi ?

9.1.12. Short Dialogue

A : Quand tu étais enfant, tu aimais faire quoi ?	A: When you were a child, what did you like to do?
B : J’aimais jouer dehors et regarder des dessins animés. Et toi ?	B: I liked playing outside and watching cartoons. And you?
A : Moi, j’adorais lire. Mais je n’aimais pas faire les devoirs.	A: I loved reading. But I did not like doing homework.
B : Moi non plus !	B: Me neither!

9.1.13. Checkpoint

By the end of this lesson, you should be able to describe what you liked, loved, preferred, or disliked doing in the past using the imparfait, especially with j’aimais, j’adorais, je préférais, and je n’aimais pas.