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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb compter

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The English translation of the French verb compter is “to count.” It is pronounced as “kawn-tay.”

The language origin of compter can be traced back to the Latin word “computare,” meaning “to compute” or “to reckon.” In everyday French, compter is often used in its Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of compter in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Il fallait que je comptasse mes économies avant de partir en vacances. (I needed to count my savings before going on vacation.)
  2. Elle souhaitait que nous ne comptions pas sur son aide. (She wished that we didn’t count on her help.)
  3. Il était important que vous comptassiez vos points avant de commencer le jeu. (It was important that you counted your points before starting the game.)

English translations:

  1. I needed to count my savings before going on vacation.
  2. She wished that we didn’t count on her help.
  3. It was important that you counted your points before starting the game.

Table of the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of compter

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je comptasse Si je gagnais à la loterie, je comptasse mon argent. If I won the lottery, I would count my money.
tu comptasses Si tu travaillais plus, tu comptasses mieux. If you worked more, you would count better.
il comptât Il serait surpris si il comptât vite. He would be surprised if he counted quickly.
elle comptât Elle serait fière si elle comptât juste. She would be proud if she counted correctly.
on comptât Si on comptât mieux, on économiserait plus. If one counted better, one would save more.
nous comptassions Si nous comptassions ensemble, nous serions plus rapides. If we counted together, we would be faster.
vous comptassiez Si vous comptassiez plus lentement, vous feriez moins d’erreurs. If you counted more slowly, you would make fewer mistakes.
ils comptassent S’ils comptassent mieux, ils se débrouilleraient plus facilement. If they counted better, they would manage more easily.
elles comptassent Si elles comptassent correctement, elles auraient plus de succès. If they counted correctly, they would have more success.

Other Conjugations for Compter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter (this article)

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

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

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

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

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

    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!
   

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Compter – About the French Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense

The French Subjonctif Imparfait, also known as the imperfect subjunctive, is a verb tense used to express actions, states, or conditions that are uncertain, subjective, or hypothetical in the past. It is used in a variety of situations, including wishes, doubts, emotions, and polite requests, and often occurs in dependent clauses following certain expressions and conjunctions.

NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation

To form the Subjonctif Imparfait, you typically start with the third person plural (ils/elles) form of the verb in the imparfait (imperfect) tense. Then, you remove the -ent ending and add the appropriate endings:

– For regular -er verbs: je -sse, tu -sses, il/elle/on -t, nous -ssions, vous -ssiez, ils/elles -ssent.
– For regular -ir and -re verbs: je -sse, tu -sses, il/elle/on -t, nous -ssions, vous -ssiez, ils/elles -ssent.

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

1. Expressing Doubt or Uncertainty: The Subjonctif Imparfait is used to express doubt or uncertainty about something that happened in the past.

Example: Il doutait qu’elle vînt à la fête. (He doubted that she came to the party.)

2. Wishes and Desires: It is used to express wishes or desires in the past.

Example: J’aurais aimé que tu fusses là. (I would have liked you to be there.)

3. Hypothetical Scenarios: The Subjonctif Imparfait is employed in hypothetical situations in the past.

Example: Si j’eusse su, j’aurais agi différemment. (If I had known, I would have acted differently.)
4. Polite Requests and Suggestions: It is used to make polite requests and suggestions in a formal or polite tone.

Example: Il souhaitait que vous vinssiez lui rendre visite. (He wished that you would come to visit him.)

Interactions with Other Tenses

Subjonctif Présent

The Subjonctif Imparfait is often used in dependent clauses with the Subjonctif Présent in the main clause, especially in complex sentences.

Example: Il faut que tu manges bien pour que tu aies de l’énergie. (You need to eat well so that you have energy.)

Indicatif Passé Composé

The Subjonctif Imparfait can be used alongside the Indicatif Passé Composé to indicate a contrast between a factual event and a hypothetical one.

Example: Il est parti avant que tu ne fusses arrivé. (He left before you arrived.)

Conditional

The Subjonctif Imparfait is often used with the Conditional to express unreal or hypothetical situations in the past.

Example: J’aurais pu le faire si j’eusse eu plus de temps. (I could have done it if I had had more time.)

Conditional Perfect

It can also be used with the Conditional Perfect to express unreal or hypothetical past events that would have occurred before other past events.

Example: J’aurais su s’il eût partagé l’information. (I would have known if he had shared the information.)

Summary

The Subjonctif Imparfait is a relatively complex tense, and its usage depends on the context and the verbs involved. It is essential to practice and become familiar with common expressions and contexts where this tense is appropriate to use it effectively in everyday French communication.

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

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