Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contresigner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contresigner

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of contresigner. 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 “contresigner” is “to countersign.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “contresigner” is as follows: kohn-truh-sen-yey.

The language origin of “contresigner” can be broken down as follows:

  • “Contre” means “against” or “opposed to.”
  • “Signer” means “to sign.”

Together, “contresigner” refers to the act of signing a document alongside someone else or providing a second signature as a form of validation or approval.

In everyday French, the verb “contresigner” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense along with their English translations:

  1. Chaque jour, il contresignait les contrats avant de les envoyer.
    (Every day, he would countersign the contracts before sending them.)
  2. Pendant des années, elle contresignait les ordres du directeur sans poser de questions.
    (For years, she used to countersign the director’s orders without asking any questions.)
  3. Nous contresignions les documents administratifs pour les rendre officiels.
    (We used to countersign administrative documents to make them official.)

Note: In the above examples, the imparfait tense is used to indicate repeated actions or ongoing habits in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of contresigner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je contresignais Je contresignais le contrat. I countersigned the contract.
tu contresignais Tu contresignais les documents. You countersigned the documents.
il contresignait Il contresignait les lettres. He countersigned the letters.
elle contresignait Elle contresignait les formulaires. She countersigned the forms.
on contresignait On contresignait les factures. We countersigned the invoices.
nous contresignions Nous contresignions les accords. We countersigned the agreements.
vous contresigniez Vous contresigniez les contrats. You countersigned the contracts.
ils contresignaient Ils contresignaient les rapports. They countersigned the reports.
elles contresignaient Elles contresignaient les autorisations. They countersigned the permissions.

Other Conjugations for Contresigner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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