Yap.Town

ils battaient

were hitting, were beating, were fighting

→ battre
batt to beat, to hit + aient 3rd person plural imperfect
verb · third plural · imperfect indicative Rare #35,558
were hitting, were beating, were fighting Imperfect tense (ongoing or repeated action in the past).
FR: Ils se battaient dans la cour après l’école.
EN: They were fighting in the schoolyard after school.
Conjugation of battre
Indicative imperfect
SingularPlural
First battais —
Second battais —
Third battait battaient

Ils se battaient de tout leur cœur, ils ont une famille, des enfants.

They fought with all their hearts, they have a family, children.

— Apocalypse Now (1979)

Les gladiateurs se battaient à mort dans le Colisée.

Gladiators fought to the death in the Colosseum.

Les gamins se battaient donc les parents ont dû intervenir.

The kids were fighting so the parents had to intervene.

Ils se battaient autour.

They were fighting nearby.

— La petite Véra (1988)

Des déclarations de quatre villageois disent que les pères battaient les filles.

Statements from four villagers say that the fathers beat the girls.

— Article 15 (2019)

Mes cousins me battaient là-bas.

My cousins used to beat me up there.

— Roma (2018)