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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contaminer

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The English translation of the French verb contaminer is “to contaminate.” It is pronounced “koh(n)-tah-mee-nay.”

Contaminer comes from the Latin word “contaminare” meaning “to make impure.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or unreal situation in the past.

Examples:

  1. Il fallait que je ne contaminasse pas les aliments avec mes mains sales. (It was necessary for me not to contaminate the food with my dirty hands.)
  2. Si nous ne les avions pas aidés, ils seraient restés contaminés par la maladie. (If we had not helped them, they would have remained contaminated by the disease.)
  3. J’aurais aimé que tu ne contaminasses pas l’environnement en jetant ton mégot par terre. (I would have liked you not to contaminate the environment by throwing your cigarette butt on the ground.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je contaminasse Je ne sortirais pas à l’extérieur si je contaminasse quelqu’un. I wouldn’t go outside if I infected someone.
tu contaminasses Si tu voyais quelqu’un qui contaminasses, tu appellerais les urgences. If you saw someone who was contagious, you would call emergency services.
il contaminât Il serait mieux si il ne contaminât personne. It would be better if he didn’t infect anyone.
elle contaminât Elle ne voudrait pas que quelqu’un la contaminât lorsqu’elle est malade. She wouldn’t want anyone to infect her when she’s sick.
on contaminât Si on contaminât moins, il y aurait moins de malades. If one infected less, there would be fewer sick people.
nous contaminassions Si nous contaminassions les autres, cela pourrait être dangereux. If we infected others, it could be dangerous.
vous contaminassiez Si vous ne vous contaminassiez pas, vous ne seriez pas malades. If you didn’t infect yourself, you wouldn’t be sick.
ils contaminassent S’ils contaminassent d’autres personnes, ils pourraient être tenus responsables. If they infected other people, they could be held responsible.
elles contaminassent Si elles se contaminassent entre elles, elles devraient se mettre en quarantaine. If they infected each other, they would have to quarantine themselves.

Other Conjugations for Contaminer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contaminer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Contaminer – 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 contaminer. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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