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ils riaient

were laughing

→ rire
ri laugh + aient 3rd-person plural imperfect
verb · third plural · imperfect indicative Rare #33,872
were laughing Imperfect tense (describes an ongoing/repeated action in the past).
FR: Ils riaient très fort pendant le film.
EN: They were laughing very loudly during the movie.
Conjugation of rire
Indicative imperfect
SingularPlural
Third riait riaient

Je ne pense pas qu'ils ne riaient que par politesse.

I don't think they were laughing just out of politeness.

— Les Fraises sauvages (1957)

Les gens riaient dans la rue quand ils me voyaient pédaler, tout fier.

People laughed in the street when they saw me pedaling, so proud.

— Oh Boy (2012)

On ne devrait pas rire de cela et pourtant ils riaient.

We shouldn’t laugh at that, and yet they were laughing.

Tous les autres garçons riaient de lui.

All the other boys laughed at him.

Ils riaient aux éclats.

They laughed out loud.

Les élèves riaient.

The students laughed.

Ils riaient.

They were laughing.

Les enfants se couraient après et riaient.

The children were chasing each other and laughing.