Past states in photographs

Use c’était for an identity or situation in the past: C’était mon appartement. The limited state forms j’étais, tu étais, il/elle était and vous étiez belong to the imperfect. They describe how things were; completed event stories are taught with the passé composé later.

An adjective still agrees with the person: j’étais petit for Lukas, j’étais petite for Lena. A singular polite vous also takes the appropriate singular adjective: vous étiez petit/petite.

Use il y avait for something that existed: Il y avait une trompette. Learn it as a useful past-state expression here. You can keep the story simple by describing the picture with these few forms.

For present personal information, say je suis marié/mariée or je ne suis pas marié/mariée. This describes now and should not be confused with a childhood photograph.

• C’était mon appartement.It was my flat.

• J’étais petit.I was little.

  J’étais petite.I was little.

• Julien était petit.Julien was little.

• Vous étiez ici.You were here.

• Il y avait une trompette.There was a trumpet.

• Je ne suis pas marié.I am not married.

  Je ne suis pas mariée.I am not married.

• Ces photos étaient sur le mur.These photos were on the wall.

• Zoé était petite sur cette photo.Zoé was little in this photo.

Age uses avoir in the past too: j’avais trente ans, il/elle avait dix ans, vous aviez dix ans. Learn these few imperfect state forms alongside j’étais and il était; a full imperfect paradigm is not required here.

Past tense: A form describing an earlier time; early state forms precede productive completed-action forms.

The full past-state pattern of être is j’étais, tu étais, il/elle/on était, nous étions, vous étiez, ils/elles étaient. For having something or giving age, the matching avoir forms are j’avais, tu avais, il/elle/on avait, nous avions, vous aviez, ils/elles avaient. These describe background or states; completed actions are practised later with the compound past.