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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contre-manifester

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The English translation of the French verb contre-manifester is “to counter-demonstrate.” It is pronounced as kohn-truh-mah-nee-fehs-teh.

The word contre-manifester is a combination of the prefix contre- (meaning “against”) and the verb manifester (meaning “to demonstrate”). It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express actions or situations that are uncertain, hypothetical, or unlikely in the past.

Here are three simple examples of contre-manifester in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. Il fallait que nous contre-manifestions hier soir, mais nous ne savions pas où était le rassemblement. (We would have had to counter-demonstrate last night, but we didn’t know where the gathering was.)

  2. Je souhaitais qu’ils contre-manifestassent avec nous, mais ils ont préféré rester à la maison. (I wished they would have counter-demonstrated with us, but they preferred to stay home.)

  3. Si les étudiants avaient contre-manifesté pacifiquement, les forces de l’ordre n’auraient peut-être pas utilisé des gaz lacrymogènes. (If the students had counter-demonstrated peacefully, the police might not have used tear gas.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je contre-manifestasse Si j’avais le courage, je contre-manifestasse avec eux. If I had the courage, I would counter-protest with them.
tu contre-manifestasses Si tu avais le temps, tu contre-manifestasses avec moi. If you had the time, you would counter-protest with me.
il contre-manifestât Il serait plus efficace s’il contre-manifestât plus fort. He would be more effective if he counter-protested louder.
elle contre-manifestât Elle serait plus convaincante si elle contre-manifestât mieux. She would be more persuasive if she countered-protested better.
on contre-manifestât Si on contre-manifestât ensemble, on serait plus fort. If one counter-protested together, one would be stronger.
nous contre-manifestassions Si nous contre-manifestassions plus souvent, on pourrait changer les choses. If we counter-protested more often, we could change things.
vous contre-manifestassiez Si vous contre-manifestassiez avec nous, on pourrait faire une différence. If you counter-protested with us, we could make a difference.
ils contre-manifestassent S’ils contre-manifestassent ensemble, ils auraient plus d’impact. If they counter-protested together, they would have more impact.
elles contre-manifestassent Si elles contre-manifestassent ensemble, elles seraient plus unies. If they counter-protested together, they would be more united.

Other Conjugations for Contre-Manifester.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Contre-Manifester – 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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