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il gagnait

was winning, was earning

→ gagner
gagn win + ait he/she/it imperfect
verb · third singular · imperfect indicative Rare #25,159
was winning, was earning Imperfect tense (past): describes an ongoing or habitual action in the past.
FR: Il gagnait souvent aux cartes.
EN: He often won at cards.
Conjugation of gagner
Indicative imperfect
SingularPlural
First gagnais —
Second gagnais gagniez
Third gagnait —

Il gagnait ?

He was winning?

— F1® Le Film (2025)

La pauvre fille gagnait sa vie en vendant des fleurs.

The poor girl earned her living selling flowers.

Béné gagnait le cœur d'Angélica.

Béné was winning Angélica's heart.

— La Cité de Dieu (2002)

Il gagnait sa vie comme chanteur.

He earned his living as a singer.

Il allait devenir champion du monde, s'il gagnait la course.

He would become world champion if he won the race.

— Senna (2010)

Je ne pouvais pas dire s'il gagnait ou perdait.

I couldn't tell whether he was winning or losing.

Il gagnait sa vie comme ingénieur.

He earned his living as an engineer.

Et qui gagnait ?

And who won?

— Conclave (2024)

John gagnait dans les compétitions.

John won in competitions.

L’Ombre gagnait du temps exprès.

The Shadow was deliberately stalling for time.

— The Shadow's Edge (2025)

Il ne gagnait pas un gros salaire lorsqu'il prit sa retraite.

He wasn’t earning a large salary when he retired.

Il gagnait !

He was winning!

— Amours chiennes (2000)

Oui, mais il gagnait l'argent nécessaire.

Yes, but he was earning the money he needed.

— Paddington 2 (2017)