j'avais l'habitude d'aller
In French, "I used to go" can be expressed as j'avais l'habitude d'aller.
This phrase describes a habit or action that happened regularly in the past but no longer happens now.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase j'avais l'habitude d'aller literally translates to "I had the habit of going".
Which one should you use?
You can also use j'allais to say "I used to go" or "I was going". While j'allais is a simple way to express a past habit, j'avais l'habitude d'aller places a stronger emphasis on the repetitive, habitual nature of the action.
Did you know?
- The word habitude in French is a direct cognate of the English 'habit', but in French, it can also refer to the clothing or 'habit' worn by certain religious orders.
- If you want to say you used to go somewhere every single day, you might add tous les jours at the end, but French speakers often use the verb fréquenter to imply a habitual, regular presence at a specific place.
- The verb aller used in j'allais is one of the most irregular verbs in the language, but its imperfect stem all- is one of the most stable and predictable forms it has.
Examples in context
- Je me rendais régulièrement à la bibliothèque.I used to regularly go to the library.
- Je fréquentais habituellement ce restaurant.I used to usually go to this restaurant.
- J'avais l'habitude d'aller à la plage chaque été.I used to go to the beach every summer.
- J'avais l'habitude d'aller au cinéma le samedi soir.I used to go to the cinema on Saturday nights.
- J'avais l'habitude d'aller marcher dans la forêt.I used to go walking in the forest.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are talking about their childhood homes.
- GabrielJ'avais l'habitude d'aller à la plage chaque jour.I used to go to the beach every day.
- ManonC'est génial, Gabriel ! Moi, j'habitais loin de la mer.That's great, Gabriel! Me, I lived far from the sea.
- GabrielTu n'aimais pas nager quand tu étais petite ?Did you not like swimming when you were little?
- ManonSi, mais je n'avais pas l'habitude d'y aller.Yes, but I didn't use to go there.
