Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contremander

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contremander

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The English translation of the French verb “contremander” is “to countermand” or “to recall.” The infinitive form “contremander” is pronounced as “kon-truh-mahn-dey.”

The word “contremander” is derived from the combination of the prefix “contre” meaning “against” and the verb “mander” meaning “to order” or “to command.” It is often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense to express the idea of canceling or revoking a previous order or command.

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

  1. Chaque fois que le général contremandait l’ordre, les soldats étaient soulagés.
    (Whenever the general countermanded the order, the soldiers were relieved.)

  2. La compagnie aérienne a dû contremander tous les vols en raison de la tempête.
    (The airline had to recall all flights due to the storm.)

  3. Le chef de projet a contremandé la réunion à la dernière minute.
    (The project manager countermanded the meeting at the last minute.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of contremander

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je contremandais Je contremandais mes ordres. I was countermanding my orders.
tu contremandais Tu contremandais ton rendez-vous. You were countermanding your appointment.
il contremandait Il contremandait sa décision. He was countermanding his decision.
elle contremandait Elle contremandait son vol. She was countermanding her flight.
on contremandait On contremandait tous les plans. We were countermanding all the plans.
nous contremandions Nous contremandions la réunion. We were countermanding the meeting.
vous contremandiez Vous contremandiez vos réservations. You were countermanding your reservations.
ils contremandaient Ils contremandaient leurs commandes. They were countermanding their orders.
elles contremandaient Elles contremandaient leurs billets. They were countermanding their tickets.

Other Conjugations for Contremander.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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