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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contingenter

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The English translation of the French verb contingenter is “to allocate” or “to apportion.” It is pronounced as “kon-ting-tahn-ter” in its infinitive form.

Contingenter comes from the French noun “contingent,” which means “quota” or “share.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain situation.

Example 1: Je souhaitais que tu contingentes les ressources équitablement.
Translation: I wished that you allocated the resources fairly.

Example 2: Il fallait que nous contingentions les tâches en fonction de nos compétences.
Translation: We had to apportion the tasks according to our skills.

Example 3: Je craignais que les fonds ne soient pas contingentés pour notre projet.
Translation: I was afraid that the funds would not be allocated for our project.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je contingenteasse Si je pouvais, je contingenteasse plus de marchandises. If I could, I would ration more goods.
tu contingenteasses Si tu étais ministre, tu contingenteasses les ressources. If you were a minister, you would allocate resources.
il contingenteât Il serait plus efficace si il contingenteât les dépenses. It would be more efficient if he controlled expenses.
elle contingenteât Elle trouverait une solution si elle contingenteât les demandes. She would find a solution if she managed requests.
on contingenteât Si on contingenteât les prix, le marché serait plus stable. If one regulated prices, the market would be more stable.
nous contingenteassions Si nous contingenteassions mieux, nous aurions moins de gaspillage. If we rationed better, we would have less waste.
vous contingenteassiez Si vous contingenteassiez les entrées, il y aurait moins de personnes. If you controlled entries, there would be fewer people.
ils contingenteassent S’ils contingenteassent les exportations, le marché serait protégé. If they restricted exports, the market would be protected.
elles contingenteassent Si elles ne contingenteassent pas les importations, il y aurait trop de produits. If they didn’t regulate imports, there would be too many products.

Other Conjugations for Contingenter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contingenter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Contingenter – 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.

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