Common French phrases: talk about the past

The ability to talk about the past is an important skill in any language, and being able to do so in French is no exception. In this blog post, we’ll go over some common French phrases for talking about the past.

1. Hier, j’ai _____. (Yesterday, I _____.) This phrase is used to describe something you did the day before.
2. La semaine dernière, je suis allé(e) à ____. (Last week, I went to ___.) This phrase is used to describe a specific event or location that you went to in the past.
3. Quand j’étais enfant, je _____. (When I was a child, I _____.) This phrase is used to describe an action or event that happened during your childhood.
4. Je me souviens que _____. (I remember that _____.) This phrase is used to recall a specific memory or event from the past.
5. Pendant longtemps, j’ai _____. (For a long time, I _____.) This phrase is used to describe a long period of time during which you did something.
6. À l’époque, je _____. (At the time, I _____.) This phrase is used to describe something you did or experienced during a specific period of time in the past.
7. L’année dernière, j’ai fait _____. (Last year, I did _____.) This phrase is used to describe something you did during the previous year.
8. Il y a quelques années, je suis allé(e) à ____. (A few years ago, I went to ___.) This phrase is used to describe an event or location that you went to in the past, but not necessarily recently.
9. Je ne me souviens pas exactement, mais je crois que _____. (I don’t remember exactly, but I think that _____.) This phrase is used when you can’t remember something clearly but have a vague idea of what happened.
10. Autrefois, les choses étaient différentes. (In the past, things were different.) This phrase is used to describe a time period in the past when things were different than they are now.

Learning these common French phrases for talking about the past will help you to communicate more effectively with native French speakers and better express your experiences and memories. Additionally, it is helpful to learn some basic French vocabulary related to time and temporal expressions. With practice and persistence, you’ll soon be able to speak confidently about the past in French.