commencer at A2 — the past tenses
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The imperfect brings the cedilla back.
Starting in the past
J’ai commencé is the ordinary past: « j’ai commencé à travailler à vingt ans ». The participle is regular and carries no cedilla, because there is no a or o after the c.
The imperfect is where the cedilla returns, and only in four of the six forms: je commençais, tu commençais, il commençait, ils commençaient — but nous commencions and vous commenciez with a plain c, because i keeps the sound soft on its own.
💡 Focus at this level: Past — and the ç again
👨🏫 How to use « commencer » at this level
1. Four imperfect forms take ç, two do not. Check the vowel that follows.
2. The participle never does. « commencé », plain.
3. « J’ai commencé à… » is the standard life-story frame.
J’ai commencé à travailler à vingt ans.I started working at twenty.
Je commençais à m’inquiéter.I was starting to worry.
Nous commencions à peine.We were only just starting.
Le cours a commencé sans moi.The class started without me.
🎮 Practise « commencer »
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