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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contre-indiquer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of contre-indiquer. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “contre-indiquer” is “to contraindicate.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “contre-indiquer” is: “kon-trah-in-dee-kay.”

The language origin of “contre-indiquer” is derived from the French words “contre” (against) and “indiquer” (to indicate). It is commonly used in everyday French to express the act of advising against or indicating something as unsuitable or risky due to potential harm or adverse effects.

Here are three examples of how “contre-indiquer” is used in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. “Je lui contre-indiquais de fumer à cause de sa santé fragile.” (I used to contraindicate smoking to him due to his fragile health.)
  2. “Mon médecin me contre-indiquait de pratiquer certains sports à cause de ma blessure.” (My doctor used to contraindicate certain sports to me due to my injury.)
  3. “Elle nous contre-indiquait de manger des aliments gras pour éviter les problèmes de cholestérol.” (She used to contraindicate eating fatty foods to us to avoid cholesterol problems.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je contre-indiquais Je contre-indiquais ce médicament. I was contraindicating this medication.
tu contre-indiquais Tu contre-indiquais cette activité. You were contraindicating this activity.
il contre-indiquait Il contre-indiquait cet aliment. He was contraindicating this food.
elle contre-indiquait Elle contre-indiquait cette méthode. She was contraindicating this method.
on contre-indiquait On contre-indiquait ce traitement. We were contraindicating this treatment.
nous contre-indiquions Nous contre-indiquions ces médicaments. We were contraindicating these medications.
vous contre-indiquiez Vous contre-indiquiez cette pratique. You were contraindicating this practice.
ils contre-indiquaient Ils contre-indiquaient ces exercices. They were contraindicating these exercises.
elles contre-indiquaient Elles contre-indiquaient ces habitudes. They were contraindicating these habits.

Other Conjugations for Contre-Indiquer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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