ELONIO
Log inSign up

Pendant la récréation, elle jouait dans la cour.

Pendant la récréation, elle jouait dans la cour.
During recess, she used to play in the courtyard.
From Lesson 129:The imperfect tense for regular verbs (-ais, -ait)·French

Questions & Answers about Pendant la récréation, elle jouait dans la cour.

How exactly is "jouait" formed here?
To make the imparfait, you take the present tense nous form of the verb, drop the -ons, and add the imparfait endings. For jouer (to play), the present tense is nous jouons. Drop the -ons to get the stem jou-, then add the elle ending -ait to get jouait.
Why is "jouait" translated as "used to play" instead of just "played"?
The imparfait tense is used to describe continuous, repeated, or habitual actions in the past. Translating it as "used to play" (or "was playing") helps show that this wasn't just a one-time event, but a habit she had during recess.
Does "récréation" just mean "recreation"?
They are related, but in a French school context, la récréation specifically translates to "recess" or "break time". In everyday speech, French students often shorten it to just la récré.
Is "cour" the same word as taking a class or course?
No! They sound exactly the same, but they are spelled differently and have different genders. La cour (feminine, no 's' at the end) means the courtyard or schoolyard. A class or lesson is le cours (masculine, with an 's' at the end).

Learn Pendant la récréation, elle jouait dans la cour and more in French

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning French →