Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer
Introduction to the verb contre-attaquer
The English translation of the French verb “contre-attaquer” is “to counterattack.” The infinitive form “contre-attaquer” is pronounced as “kont-rah-tah-kay.”
The word “contre-attaquer” is a compound verb in French, made up of “contre” (meaning “against”) and “attaquer” (meaning “to attack”). It originated from the combination of these two words to specifically denote the action of responding to an attack with an attack of one’s own.
In everyday French, the verb “contre-attaquer” is often used in the imparfait tense (imperfect) to describe ongoing or repeated counterattacks in the past. The imparfait tense is used for actions that were habitual, continuous, or repetitive in the past.
Here are three simple examples of using “contre-attaquer” in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:
- Nous contre-attaquions chaque fois qu’ils attaquaient.
(We would counterattack every time they attacked.) - Pendant la guerre, les forces alliées contre-attaquaient régulièrement.
(During the war, the allied forces were counterattacking regularly.) - Les joueurs de l’équipe adverse contre-attaquaient agressivement.
(The players from the opposing team were counterattacking aggressively.)
In all these examples, the imparfait tense is used to describe the ongoing or repeated nature of the counterattacks, portraying them as a habitual or continuous action in the past.
Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of contre-attaquer
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | contre-attaquais | Je contre-attaquais souvent. | I used to counterattack often. |
tu | contre-attaquais | Tu contre-attaquais avec force. | You used to counterattack forcefully. |
il | contre-attaquait | Il contre-attaquait rapidement. | He used to counterattack quickly. |
elle | contre-attaquait | Elle contre-attaquait efficacement. | She used to counterattack effectively. |
on | contre-attaquait | On contre-attaquait ensemble. | We used to counterattack together. |
nous | contre-attaquions | Nous contre-attaquions avec détermination. | We used to counterattack with determination. |
vous | contre-attaquiez | Vous contre-attaquiez courageusement. | You used to counterattack courageously. |
ils | contre-attaquaient | Ils contre-attaquaient sans relâche. | They used to counterattack relentlessly. |
elles | contre-attaquaient | Elles contre-attaquaient habilement. | They used to counterattack skillfully. |
Other Conjugations for Contre-Attaquer.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer
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Contre-Attaquer – 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 contre-attaquer. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!