jéchangeais

J'échangeais is a French term that functions as the imperfect indicative first-person singular of the verb échanger. The verb échanger generally means to exchange, swap, trade, or reciprocate. Therefore, "j'échangeais" translates to "I was exchanging," "I used to exchange," or "I would exchange."

This grammatical form is used to describe an action that was ongoing or habitual in the past. For example, "Quand j'étais enfant, j'échangeais des cartes avec mes amis" translates to "When I was a child, I used to exchange cards with my friends." The imperfect tense here emphasizes the repeated nature of the action over a period of time in the past. Another example, "J'échangeais des regards avec lui quand le professeur n'était pas là," means "I was exchanging glances with him when the teacher wasn't there," indicating an action that was in progress at a specific point in the past.

The context in which "j'échangeais" appears will determine the precise nuance of the translation, but the core meaning revolves around the past action of exchanging something, whether it be goods, ideas, or emotions. It is a common verb tense used in everyday French conversation and writing to narrate past events.