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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contre-indiquer

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The English translation of the French verb contre-indiquer is “to contraindicate.” It is pronounced “kon-trahn-dee-keh.”

The word contre-indiquer is a compound verb, with the prefix “contre” meaning “against” and the verb “indiquer” meaning “to indicate.” It originated from the Latin word “contra-indicere” which also means “to indicate against.”

In everyday French, the verb contre-indiquer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is a literary or formal tense used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is often used in medical or pharmaceutical contexts to advise against a certain treatment or medication.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Il fallait que je contre-indiquasse cette médication à cause de ses effets secondaires. (I had to contraindicate this medication because of its side effects.)

  2. Les médecins auraient pu contre-indiquer ce traitement s’ils avaient pris en compte les antécédents médicaux du patient. (The doctors could have contraindicated this treatment if they had taken into account the patient’s medical history.)

  3. Il était important que tu contre-indiquasses cette opération avant qu’il ne soit trop tard. (It was important that you contraindicate this surgery before it was too late.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je contre-indiquasse Si j’avais des allergies, je contre-indiquasse certains médicaments. If I had allergies, I would contra-indicate certain medications.
tu contre-indiquasses Si tu prenais cela pour ton rhume, tu contre-indiquasses à ta migraine. If you took that for your cold, you would contra-indicate it for your migraine.
il contre-indiquât Il faudrait qu’il contre-indiquât cela pour les femmes enceintes. He would need to contra-indicate that for pregnant women.
elle contre-indiquât Elle suggéra que nous contre-indiquât cette méthode. She suggested that we contra-indicate this method.
on contre-indiquât Si on me le demandait, je contre-indiquât l’usage de ce produit. If someone asked me, I would contra-indicate the use of this product.
nous contre-indiquassions Nous devrions contre-indiquassions cela pour les personnes âgées. We should contra-indicate that for elderly people.
vous contre-indiquassiez Si vous pouviez me conseiller, vous contre-indiquassiez ce traitement. If you could advise me, you would contra-indicate this treatment.
ils contre-indiquassent S’ils avaient des problèmes cardiaques, ils contre-indiquassent ce médicament. If they had heart problems, they would contra-indicate this medication.
elles contre-indiquassent Si elles étaient médecins, elles contre-indiquassent ce régime. If they were doctors, they would contra-indicate this diet.

Other Conjugations for Contre-Indiquer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Contre-Indiquer – 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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