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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contre-braquer

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The English translation of the French verb contre-braquer is “to countersteer.” It is pronounced “kohn-truh-brah-kay.”

The language origin of contre-braquer comes from the combination of the prefix contre- meaning “against” and the verb braquer meaning “to steer.” In French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Some examples of its usage in this tense include:

  1. Il fallait que je contre-braquasse pour éviter l’accident. (I had to countersteer to avoid the accident.)
  2. Je souhaitais que tu contre-braquasses plus tôt pour ne pas perdre le contrôle. (I wished you had countersteered earlier to not lose control.)
  3. Nous aurions préféré que vous contre-braquassiez plus doucement. (We would have preferred you to countersteer more gently.)

In all of these examples, the Subjonctif Imparfait tense conveys a past hypothetical or uncertain action.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je contre-braquasse Si j’avais peur, je contre-braquasse. If I were scared, I would steer the other way.
tu contre-braquasses Si tu faisais attention, tu contre-braquasses. If you were paying attention, you would steer the other way.
il contre-braquât Il serait heureux si il contre-braquât à temps. He would be happy if he steered the other way on time.
elle contre-braquât Elle serait surprise si elle contre-braquât juste assez. She would be surprised if she steered the other way just enough.
on contre-braquât Si on contre-braquât plus tôt, on éviterait l’accident. If one steered the other way earlier, one would avoid the accident.
nous contre-braquassions Si nous contre-braquassions ensemble, nous resterions sur la route. If we steered the other way together, we would stay on the road.
vous contre-braquassiez Si vous contre-braquassiez dans le bon sens, vous ne déraperez pas. If you steered the other way in the right direction, you wouldn’t skid.
ils contre-braquassent S’ils contre-braquassent avec prudence, ils éviteraient les collisions. If they steered the other way carefully, they would avoid collisions.
elles contre-braquassent Si elles contre-braquassent dans la même direction, elles arriveraient ensemble. If they steered the other way in the same direction, they would arrive together.

Other Conjugations for Contre-Braquer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Contre-Braquer – 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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