Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contreventer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contreventer

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The English translation of the French verb “contreventer” is “to brace/to secure against the wind”. The infinitive form “contreventer” is pronounced as “kawn-truh-vawn-tay”.

The verb “contreventer” has its origins in the Old French words “contre” (against) and “vent” (wind). It is commonly used in everyday French to describe the action of securing or bracing something against the wind or adverse weather conditions.

Here are three examples of using “contreventer” in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Je contreventais les fenêtres chaque fois qu’il y avait une tempête.
    (I used to brace the windows every time there was a storm.)

  2. Tu contreventais la porte pour la protéger du vent violent.
    (You used to secure the door to protect it from the strong wind.)

  3. Les agriculteurs contreventaient leurs cultures pour les préserver des intempéries.
    (The farmers used to brace their crops to protect them from bad weather.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of contreventer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je contreventais Je contreventais les fenêtres. I was boarding up the windows.
tu contreventais Tu contreventais la porte. You were securing the door.
il contreventait Il contreventait la maison. He was reinforcing the house.
elle contreventait Elle contreventait la clôture. She was fortifying the fence.
on contreventait On contreventait les vitrines. We were protecting the shop windows.
nous contreventions Nous contreventions les intempéries. We were shielding against the bad weather.
vous contreventiez Vous contreventiez les ouvertures. You were barricading the openings.
ils contreventaient Ils contreventaient les bâtiments. They were securing the buildings.
elles contreventaient Elles contreventaient les entrées. They were securing the entrances.

Other Conjugations for Contreventer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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