Learn French: Je lisais un article quand j'ai découvert cette théorie du complot. - I was reading an article when I discovered this conspiracy theory.

Je lisais un article quand j'ai découvert cette théorie du complot.

I was reading an article when I discovered this conspiracy theory.

Breakdown of Je lisais un article quand j'ai découvert cette théorie du complot.

Questions & Answers about Je lisais un article quand j'ai découvert cette théorie du complot.

Why do we use the imparfait (je lisais) first, and then the passé composé (j'ai découvert)?

This is a classic combination! The imparfait (je lisais) sets the scene and describes an ongoing background action ('I was reading'). The passé composé (j'ai découvert) is used for the specific, sudden event that happened during that time ('I discovered').

Why is it théorie du complot instead of théorie de complot?

In French, théorie du complot (literally 'theory of the conspiracy') is the fixed expression for 'conspiracy theory'. We use du (a contraction of de + le) because it refers to the definite concept of 'the' conspiracy, rather than just using it as a generic descriptive category.

Could I use lorsque instead of quand in this sentence?

Yes, lorsque and quand both mean 'when' and are interchangeable here. Lorsque is slightly more formal and often preferred in written French, while quand is standard for everyday speech and casual writing.

What do we call a 'conspiracy theorist' based on this vocabulary?

A conspiracy theorist is called un complotiste (or une complotiste). You can also use it as an adjective, for example describing a video or a website as complotiste.