réagissais

The French verb "réagissais" is the first-person singular imperfect indicative form of the verb "réagir." This verb translates to "to react" in English. The imperfect tense is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past, or to set a scene. Therefore, "réagissais" specifically means "I was reacting" or "I used to react."

The verb "réagir" describes the action of responding to a stimulus, event, or influence. This response can be physical, emotional, or intellectual. For example, one might "réagir" to a sudden noise by jumping, "réagir" to bad news with sadness, or "réagir" to a difficult problem by thinking of a solution.

The imperfect tense, as used in "réagissais," implies that the reaction was not a single, completed event, but rather something that was happening over a period of time, was repeated, or was part of a past state. For instance, "Quand j'étais enfant, je réagissais toujours vivement à la critique" translates to "When I was a child, I always reacted strongly to criticism," indicating a habitual past reaction. Similarly, "Il parlait, et je réagissais à ses mots" means "He was speaking, and I was reacting to his words," suggesting an ongoing interaction. The nuance of "réagissais" lies in its depiction of past reactions as continuous, habitual, or descriptive rather than a singular, concluded action.