Conjugation rule
Imperfect tense of second-group -ir verbs (finir)
Conjugation rule for the “-ir verbs with the -iss- infix” pattern.
Explanation
The stem comes from the present first-person plural without -ons (nous finissons → finiss-). The endings added to it are -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient. The model verb is finir (je finissais, nous finissions).
The pattern at a glance
The forms of finir published for this tense, endings in colour.
- jefinissais
- tufinissais
- il/elle/onfinissait
- nousfinissions
- vousfinissiez
- ils/ellesfinissaient
Examples
- je finissais
- nous finissions
- ils finissaient