Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contingenter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contingenter

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The English translation of the French verb “contingenter” is “to allocate” or “to apportion.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “contingenter” is as follows: kohn-tahn-zhan-tey.

The verb “contingenter” originates from the Latin word “contingere,” meaning “to touch” or “to reach.” In everyday French, it is commonly used in the imparfait tense to express the idea of allocating or apportioning something in the past.

Here are three simple examples of “contingenter” used in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Pendant la réunion, nous contingentions les ressources pour le projet.
    (During the meeting, we were allocating resources for the project.)

  2. L’entreprise contingentait les tâches entre ses employés.
    (The company was apportioning tasks among its employees.)

  3. Chaque année, la municipalité contingentait les subventions aux associations.
    (Every year, the municipality allocated grants to the associations.)

These examples demonstrate the use of “contingenter” in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions of allocating or apportioning in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of contingenter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je contingentai Je contingentai mes dépenses. I was rationing my expenses.
tu contingentai Tu contingentai tes achats. You were rationing your purchases.
il contingentai Il contingentai ses ressources. He was rationing his resources.
elle contingentai Elle contingentai son temps. She was rationing her time.
on contingentai On contingentai nos provisions. We were rationing our supplies.
nous contingentions Nous contingentions nos dépenses. We were rationing our expenses.
vous contingentiiez Vous contingentiiez vos consommations. You were rationing your consumptions.
ils contingentaient Ils contingentaient leurs dépenses. They were rationing their expenses.
elles contingentaient Elles contingentaient leurs ressources. They were rationing their resources.

Other Conjugations for Contingenter.

Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb contingenter

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contingenter (You’re reading it right now!)

Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contingenter

Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contingenter

Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contingenter

Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contingenter

Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contingenter

Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contingenter

Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contingenter

Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contingenter

Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contingenter

Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contingenter

Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contingenter

Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contingenter

Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contingenter

Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contingenter

L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contingenter

L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contingenter

L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contingenter

L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contingenter

Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contingenter

Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contingenter

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Contingenter – About the French Imparfait Tense

The French imparfait tense, often called the imperfect tense in English, is used to describe actions or states in the past. It’s primarily used to provide background information, set the scene, or describe habitual or ongoing actions in the past.

NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see our article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation of the Imparfait Tense

To form the imparfait tense in French, you typically take the present tense nous form of the verb, drop the -ons ending, and add specific endings based on the verb group (regular -er, -ir, -re verbs) or use irregular forms for certain verbs.  

For regular -er verbs:

Take the infinitive form (e.g., parler, finir, rendre) Remove the -er ending Add the imparfait endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient 

For regular -ir verbs

Take the infinitive form (e.g., choisir, grandir, finir) Remove the -ir ending Add the imparfait endings: -issais, -issais, -issait, -issions, -issiez, -issaient 

For regular -re verbs

Take the infinitive form (e.g., vendre, attendre, entendre) Remove the -re ending Add the imparfait endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

Description of Past Habits

The imparfait is often used to describe habitual actions or situations in the past. For example: “Quand j’étais enfant, je jouais au football tous les jours.” (When I was a child, I used to play football every day.) 

Background Information

It’s used to provide background information or set the stage for a main event in the past. For instance: “Il faisait beau ce jour-là.” (The weather was nice that day.) 

Mental and Emotional States

It’s employed to express emotions, thoughts, or physical sensations in the past. For example: “J’étais content quand il est arrivé.” (I was happy when he arrived.) 

Ongoing Actions

The imparfait describes actions that were in progress or happening when something else occurred in the past. For instance: “Je lisais un livre quand le téléphone a sonné.” (I was reading a book when the phone rang.)

Points to Note About the Imparfait Tense

Passé Composé vs. Imparfait

The imparfait and passé composé (a compound past tense) are often used together to express the completion of an action in the past (passé composé) and provide context or background (imparfait). For example: “Il regardait la télévision quand son ami est arrivé.” (He was watching TV when his friend arrived.) 

Conditional

The imparfait is used as the base for forming the conditional mood in French. For instance, “Je mangerais” (I would eat) is formed from “je mangeais” (I was eating). 

Si Clauses

In hypothetical or “if” clauses (si clauses), the imparfait is often used to express a condition in the past. For example: “Si j’avais de l’argent, j’achèterais une nouvelle voiture.” (If I had money, I would buy a new car.) 

Narration

In storytelling or writing, the imparfait is frequently used to set the scene and describe ongoing actions while the passé composé is used for specific events or actions that interrupted the ongoing ones.
Understanding the French imperfect tense is crucial for effective communication in French. Without it, your conversations will always live in the present!

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb contingenter. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!

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