Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-buter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contre-buter

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The English translation of the French verb “contre-buter” is “to stumble against” or “to bump into.” The infinitive form “contre-buter” is pronounced as “koh-truh-byoo-tey.”

The verb “contre-buter” is comprised of the prefix “contre-” meaning “against” and the verb “buter” meaning “to stumble” or “to bump.” It is most often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense to describe repeated or ongoing actions in the past.

Here are three examples of the usage of “contre-buter” in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Chaque matin, je contre-butais toujours dans le meuble du salon.
    (Every morning, I would always stumble against the furniture in the living room.)

  2. Quand j’étais jeune, nous contre-butions fréquemment dans cette ruelle étroite.
    (When I was young, we would often bump into each other in that narrow alley.)

  3. Pendant la réunion, ils contre-butaient constamment les uns contre les autres.
    (During the meeting, they would constantly stumble into each other.)

Please note that the given examples are hypothetical and may not reflect actual common usage, as “contre-buter” is not a widely used verb in everyday French.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of contre-buter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je contre-boutais Je contre-boutais mes chaussures. I was tying my shoes.
tu contre-boutais Tu contre-boutais ta chemise. You were buttoning your shirt.
il contre-boutait Il contre-boutait son manteau. He was fastening his coat.
elle contre-boutait Elle contre-boutait sa jupe. She was securing her skirt.
on contre-boutait On contre-boutait nos vestes. We were buttoning our jackets.
nous contre-boutions Nous contre-boutions nos pantalons. We were fastening our pants.
vous contre-boutiez Vous contre-boutiez vos chapeaux. You were securing your hats.
ils contre-boutaient Ils contre-boutaient leurs gilets. They were buttoning their vests.
elles contre-boutaient Elles contre-boutaient leurs robes. They were fastening their dresses.

Other Conjugations for Contre-Buter.

Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb contre-buter

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

Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-buter

Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-buter

Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-buter

Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-buter

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

Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-buter

Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-buter

Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-buter

Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-buter

Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-buter

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

Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-buter

Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-buter

Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-buter

L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-buter

L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-buter

L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-buter

L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-buter

Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-buter

Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-buter

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Contre-Buter – 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 contre-buter. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!

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