Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contourner
Introduction to the verb contourner
The English translation of the French verb “contourner” is “to bypass” or “to go around.” The infinitive form of “contourner” is pronounced as kawn-toor-nay.
The verb “contourner” has its roots in the Latin word “contornare,” which means “to go around.” In everyday French, it is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. The imparfait tense is used to portray background information, set the scene, or describe habitual actions.
Three examples of “contourner” in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations, are:
-
Je contournais le parc tous les matins.
(I used to bypass the park every morning.) -
Nous contournions le bouchon en prenant des petites rues.
(We would go around the traffic jam by taking side streets.) -
Tu contournais toujours les règles sans te faire prendre.
(You would always bypass the rules without getting caught.)
In these examples, “contourner” is used to describe a repeated action in the past, showing how someone would regularly bypass or go around something.
Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of contourner
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | contournais | Je contournais le problème. | I was bypassing the problem. |
tu | contournais | Tu contournais les règles. | You were bypassing the rules. |
il | contournaît | Il contournaît les obstacles. | He was bypassing the obstacles. |
elle | contournaît | Elle contournaît les difficultés. | She was bypassing the difficulties. |
on | contournaît | On contournaît les restrictions. | We were bypassing the restrictions. |
nous | contournions | Nous contournions la loi. | We were bypassing the law. |
vous | contourniez | Vous contourniez les problèmes. | You were bypassing the problems. |
ils | contournaient | Ils contournaient les barrières. | They were bypassing the barriers. |
elles | contournaient | Elles contournaient les contraintes. | They were bypassing the constraints. |
Other Conjugations for Contourner.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb contourner
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contourner (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contourner
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contourner
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contourner
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contourner
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contourner
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contourner
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contourner
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contourner
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contourner
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contourner
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contourner
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contourner
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contourner
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contourner
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contourner
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contourner
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contourner
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contourner
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contourner
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contourner
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Contourner – About the French Imparfait Tense
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
For regular -er verbs:
For regular -ir verbs
For regular -re verbs
Common Everyday Usage Patterns
Description of Past Habits
Background Information
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
Points to Note About the Imparfait Tense
Passé Composé vs. Imparfait
Conditional
Si Clauses
Narration
I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb contourner. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!