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ils riaient

were laughing, laughed

→ rire
ri to laugh + aient 3rd-person plural imperfect
verb · 3rd-person plural, imperfect tense Rare #38,891
were laughing, laughed Used for an ongoing or repeated action in the past.
FR: Les enfants riaient dans le jardin.
EN: The children were laughing in the garden.
Conjugation of rire
Indicative imperfect
SingularPlural
First riais —
Second riais —
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 enfants se couraient après et riaient.

The children were chasing each other and laughing.

Tous les autres garçons riaient de lui.

All the other boys laughed at him.

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

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

Les élèves riaient.

The students laughed.

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)

Ils riaient.

They were laughing.

Ils riaient aux éclats.

They laughed out loud.