Échangeais

Échangeais is the first-person singular imperfect indicative form of the French verb échanger. The verb échanger means to exchange, to swap, or to trade. Therefore, "j'échangeais" translates to "I was exchanging," "I used to exchange," or "I exchanged" (in the sense of a past ongoing or habitual action). This grammatical form places the action of exchanging in the past and suggests it was either a continuous process or a repeated occurrence. For example, one might say "Quand j'étais enfant, j'échangeais mes jouets avec mes amis" which means "When I was a child, I used to exchange my toys with my friends." The imperfect tense is often used to describe background situations, habits, or ongoing actions in the past within a narrative. It contrasts with the passé composé, which typically describes completed actions. Understanding "j'échangeais" requires recognizing its role within the context of past tenses in French grammar.