he was speaking
Il parlait avec un soupçon de sarcasme dans la voix.
He spoke with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
Il parlait pas anglais mais te valait largement.
He didn't speak English, but he was more than your equal.
— Ghost in the Shell (1995)
He talked as he walked.
Il parlait avec une pipe à la bouche.
He spoke with a pipe in his mouth.
Il parlait parfois avec les soldats.
He sometimes spoke with the soldiers.
He was speaking.
Quand il parlait de gérer une entreprise, il était très sensé.
When he talked about running a business, he was very sensible.