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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contrebuter

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The English translation of the French verb “contrebuter” is “to contribute.” The infinitive form “contrebuter” is pronounced as kohn-truh-byoo-tey.

The verb “contrebuter” is derived from the French word “buter,” which means “to aim” or “to target.” The prefix “contre-” adds the meaning of “against” or “in opposition to,” resulting in the word “contrebuter,” meaning “to contribute against” or “to oppose contributions.”

In everyday French, the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense is rarely used in spoken language; it is more commonly found in written or formal contexts, such as literature or historical texts. The Passé Simple indicates completed actions in the past, with a clear starting and ending point.

Here are three examples of “contrebuter” being used in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Les entreprises contrebutèrent à la campagne de collecte de fonds. (The companies contributed to the fundraising campaign.)
  2. En 2020, il contrebuta généreusement à plusieurs œuvres de charité. (In 2020, he contributed generously to several charities.)
  3. Les citoyens contrebutèrent massivement pour soutenir les victimes de la catastrophe. (The citizens contributed massively to support the victims of the disaster.)

Table of the Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of contrebuter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je contrebutai J’ai contrebutai la théorie. I countered the theory.
Tu contrebutas Tu contrebutas l’argument. You countered the argument.
Il contrebuta Il contrebuta la proposition. He countered the proposal.
Elle contrebuta Elle contrebuta la critique. She countered the criticism.
On contrebuta On contrebuta l’accusation. One countered the accusation.
Nous contrebutâmes Nous contrebutâmes la déclaration. We countered the statement.
Vous contrebutâtes Vous contrebutâtes la demande. You countered the request.
Ils contrebutèrent Ils contrebutèrent la suggestion. They countered the suggestion.
Elles contrebutèrent Elles contrebutèrent la plainte. They (feminine) countered the complaint.

Other Conjugations for Contrebuter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contrebuter

Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contrebuter (You’re reading it right now!)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Contrebuter – About the French Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense

The French Passé Simple, also known as the Simple Past or Preterite, is a past tense used in written French to describe completed actions that took place at a specific point in the past.
It is not commonly used in everyday spoken language, where the Passé Composé is the preferred past tense. The Passé Simple is mainly found in literature, formal writing, and historical contexts. It has a somewhat limited use in modern French, and its conjugation can be complex.  
NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see our article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation

The Passé Simple is formed by conjugating the verb according to its specific endings for regular and irregular verbs. The endings typically vary based on the verb group (i.e., -er, -ir, or -re). For example:
   – For regular -er verbs (e.g., manger, parler): Remove the -er ending and add appropriate endings, like -ai, -as, -a, -âmes, -âtes, -èrent.
   – For regular -ir verbs (e.g., finir, choisir): Remove the -ir ending and add endings like -is, -is, -it, -îmes, -îtes, -irent.
   – For regular -re verbs (e.g., vendre, attendre): Remove the -re ending and add endings like -is, -is, -it, -îmes, -îtes, -irent.

Usage

Narration

The Passé Simple is commonly used in literature to describe past events in a narrative or storytelling context.

Historical Context

It can be used in historical writing or documents to discuss events that took place in the past.
Formal Writing
In formal or academic writing, especially in essays or reports, you might encounter the Passé Simple.

Interactions with other tenses

Passé Composé

In everyday spoken French, the Passé Composé is the go-to tense for describing completed actions in the past. The Passé Simple is not commonly used in spoken language and is often replaced by the Passé Composé.

Imparfait

While the Passé Simple focuses on completed actions in the past, the Imparfait is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. They can sometimes be used together to provide a more detailed past narrative. For example, “Il lisait un livre quand il reçut un appel.” (He was reading a book when he received a call).

Conditional and Subjunctive

The Passé Simple can also be found in the conditional and subjunctive moods in formal writing. For instance, “Il faudrait qu’il partît” (He should leave, subjunctive).

Summary

The French Passé Simple is primarily used in formal or literary contexts, and its conjugation can be quite complex. In everyday spoken French, the Passé Composé is the preferred past tense for describing completed actions.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb contrebuter. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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