porter at A2 — the past tenses
On this page
Description leans imperfect; a single act leans passé composé.
Wearing in the past
Describing what someone had on is a state, so it takes the imperfect: « elle portait une robe rouge ». This is the tense of every witness statement and every piece of storytelling in French.
J’ai porté is for a single act of carrying: « j’ai porté les cartons jusqu’en haut ». If you use the passé composé about clothes, it sounds like a one-off occasion — « j’ai porté ce costume une fois ».
💡 Focus at this level: Past — what you wore or carried
👨🏫 How to use « porter » at this level
1. Clothes in description = imperfect. « Il portait un chapeau. »
2. Carrying an object = passé composé. A finished effort.
3. Use it to describe people in stories — it is the natural tense.
🎮 Practise « porter »
Play the free French games → · Back to the full « porter » chart →