Ash

[nova cobalt]

Please be patient

Our volunteers look into many questions every day; sometimes it takes them a little while to answer.

Pro tip: you can rename the thread title with `.tr <thread name>`

Make it descriptive, including relevant context, but also to the point. This way you improve your chances of getting a more relevant and specific answer.

[lilac badge]

It all depends on what you're trying to say.
Are you trying to say "She believes that the dog was sneaking into the stroller"?
Or "She believed that the dog was sneaking into the stroller"?
(also, it's un pique-nique btw)

[wise spade]

I was thinking "She believes the dog snuck into the stroller..."

[mossy fjord]

dans ce cas-là je dirais "elle croit que le chien s'est glissé..."

[snow lake]

s'est glissé is differnt

snuck can be both imparfait or passé composé in french

[mossy fjord]

oui, c'est different, mais je pense que c'est ce qu'elle voulait dire

[wise spade]

Actually that's a good question. Because it's a one-time thing, should "se glisser" be passé composé instead of imparfait?

[mossy fjord]

it's not exactly about whether it's a one time thing but whether it's fully completed (perfected) or not

[snow lake]

it is about whether its a one time thing

[snow lake]

passé composé then yeah

[wise spade]

That makes sense, thanks!

[mossy fjord]

non, on dit "j'ai couru là plus de 10 fois"

[wise spade]

Any idea about the "croire" though. Because if "se glisser" is passé composé, then "croire" should be imparfait, riiiigt?

[snow lake]

no

[mossy fjord]

no, it's about whether you're thinking now or in the past

[snow lake]

it's like in english

she can believe now or before

[mossy fjord]

anyway, "je suis allé en France plusieurs fois". passé composé doesn't have to be a single instance

it just must be completed

vs "quand j'étais petit, on allait en France souvent"

almost every action can be described either with passé composé or imparfait depending on you want to describe it

[snow lake]

but être petit is also completed

the speaker there is done going to france too

[mossy fjord]

well they're two forms of past tenses, so everything they describe is complete in the sense of having already happened

"j'étais petit" is incomplete in the sense that it sets up a time period during which I was small rather than simply stating the fact about the past from the persepctive of the present "J'ai été petit"

the question is not primarily about the status of the action itself but the role it plays within the sentence