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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contracturer

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The English translation of the French verb contracturer is “to contract” or “to tense up”. The infinitive form is pronounced as “kon-trak-tyuh-ray”.

The verb contracturer comes from the Latin word “contractura” which means “contraction” or “tightening”. It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a possibility, doubt, or hypothetical situation in the past.

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with their respective English translations, are:

  1. J’avais peur qu’il contracturât ses muscles en faisant du sport. (I was afraid that he would tense up his muscles while doing sports.)
  2. Il était important que nous ne contracturassions pas les négociations avec nos partenaires. (It was important that we didn’t contract the negotiations with our partners.)
  3. Je souhaitais que mes épaules ne contracturassent pas à cause du stress. (I wished that my shoulders didn’t tense up because of stress.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je contracturasse J’ai peur que je contracturasse mon muscle. I’m afraid that I would contracture my muscle.
tu contracturasses Si tu avais froid, tu contracturasses facilement. If you were cold, you would easily contracture.
il contracturât Il serait inquiet si il contracturât son épaule. He would be worried if he contractured his shoulder.
elle contracturât Elle serait contente si elle contracturât bien. She would be happy if she contracted well.
on contracturât Si on contracturât trop, on aurait mal. If one contracted too much, one would have pain.
nous contracturassions Si nous contracturassions moins, nous serions plus détendus. If we contracted less, we would be more relaxed.
vous contracturassiez Si vous contracturassiez plus, vous seriez plus souples. If you contracted more, you would be more flexible.
ils contracturassent S’ils contracturassent ensemble, ça serait douloureux. If they contracted together, it would be painful.
elles contracturassent Si elles contracturassent trop, elles ne pourraient pas bouger. If they contracted too much, they wouldn’t be able to move.

Other Conjugations for Contracturer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contracturer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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