Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contre-attaquer

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The English translation of contre-attaquer is “to counterattack.” The infinitive form is pronounced “kontr-at-ta-ke.”

The origin of the word contre-attaquer comes from the French words “contre” meaning “against” and “attaquer” meaning “to attack.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Examples:

  1. Je craignais que l’ennemi ne contre-attaquât, mais heureusement, nous avions prévu une stratégie de défense solide. (I was afraid that the enemy would counterattack, but fortunately, we had planned a strong defense strategy.)

  2. Il était important que nous contre-attaquassions immédiatement après leur première attaque. (It was important that we counterattacked immediately after their first attack.)

  3. Il me semblait qu’ils contre-attaquaient constamment pour prendre le contrôle de la situation. (It seemed to me that they were constantly counterattacking to take control of the situation.)

Table of the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of contre-attaquer

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je contre-attaquasse Si j’étais courageux, je contre-attaquasse tous les jours. If I were brave, I would counter-attack every day.
tu contre-attaquasses Si tu avais peur, tu contre-attaquasses moins. If you were scared, you would counter-attack less.
il contre-attaquât S’il avait un plan, il contre-attaquât immédiatement. If he had a plan, he would counter-attack immediately.
elle contre-attaquât Si elle avait plus de confiance, elle contre-attaquât mieux. If she had more confidence, she would counter-attack better.
on contre-attaquât S’il le fallait, on contre-attaquât ensemble. If necessary, one would counter-attack together.
nous contre-attaquassions Si nous étions une équipe, nous contre-attaquassions en groupe. If we were a team, we would counter-attack as a group.
vous contre-attaquassiez Si vous étiez plus organisés, vous contre-attaquassiez plus vite. If you were more organized, you would counter-attack faster.
ils contre-attaquassent Si ils collaboraient, ils contre-attaquassent plus efficacement. If they collaborated, they would counter-attack more effectively.
elles contre-attaquassent Si elles se préparaient mieux, elles contre-attaquassent avec plus de succès. If they prepared better, they would counter-attack with more success.

Other Conjugations for Contre-Attaquer.

   
    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer
   

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer
   

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer
   

    Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer
   

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer
   

    Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer
   

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

    Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer

    Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer

    Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer

    Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer
   

    Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer (this article)

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

    Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer
   

    Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer

    L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-attaquer

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Contre-Attaquer – 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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