Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contraster

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contraster

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The English translation of the French verb “contraster” is “to contrast.” The infinitive form, “contraster,” is pronounced as “kon-trah-stay.”

The word “contraster” has its origins in the Latin word “contrastare,” which means “to stand out against.” In everyday French, it is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions or states in the past.

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

  1. Les couleurs vives contrastaient avec le ciel gris.
    (The bright colors contrasted with the gray sky.)

  2. Son optimisme contrastait avec ma tristesse.
    (His optimism contrasted with my sadness.)

  3. Les opinions des élèves contrastaient souvent avec celles du professeur.
    (The students’ opinions often contrasted with the teacher’s.)

These examples show how “contraster” is used to express the contrast between different elements or states in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of contraster

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je contrastais Je contrastais les couleurs. I was contrasting the colors.
tu contrastais Tu contrastais avec le fond. You were contrasting with the background.
il contrastait Il contrastait avec les autres. He was contrasting with the others.
elle contrastait Elle contrastait avec le paysage. She was contrasting with the landscape.
on contrastait On contrastait les deux styles. We were contrasting the two styles.
nous contrastions Nous contrastions les formes. We were contrasting the shapes.
vous contrastiez Vous contrastiez les textures. You were contrasting the textures.
ils contrastaient Ils contrastaient les idées. They were contrasting the ideas.
elles contrastaient Elles contrastaient les saveurs. They were contrasting the flavors.

Other Conjugations for Contraster.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Contraster – 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 contraster. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!

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