répétait

Répétez is the infinitive verb, and répéta it is the third-person singular imperfect form: répé-tait. Therefore, répétait corresponds to “he/she/it was repeating” or “he/she/it used to repeat.” In narrative French, this form expresses a past action that was habitual, repeated over time, or ongoing in the past, rather than a completed moment.

Form and orthography: The imperfect form is built from the stem répét- plus the ending -ait. It is spelled with two acute accents on the first and second e: répé-tait. Other imperfect forms of répéter follow a regular pattern: je répétais, tu répétais, nous répétions, vous répétiez, ils répétaient.

Usage: Répétait is used to describe repeated past actions or patterns, often in descriptive or narrative contexts. It contrasts with the passé composé a répété, which marks a completed or single past occurrence. In indirect discourse, répété can appear when reporting something that someone was saying or doing over time in the past.

Etymology and related forms: Répéter comes from the French prefix re- plus poser or petere in Latin, but most etymological sources trace répéter to Latin repetere, meaning “to seek again” or “to take again,” with the sense of repeating an action. Related forms include répétant (present participle), répète (present), and répétait (imperfect, third-person singular).

Examples: Il répétait les mêmes phrases chaque jour. Elle répétait les leçons pour les mémoriser. These sentences illustrate habitual or ongoing past repetition rather than a single completed act.

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