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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contre-murer

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The English translation of contre-murer is to wall up or to build a wall against. It is pronounced “kon-truh-mur-eh”.

The word contre-murer is derived from the French words “contre” meaning against and “murer” meaning to wall up. It is a compound verb that originated from the Old French word “mure” meaning wall.

In every day French, contre-murer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Il fallait que je contre-murasse la fenêtre avant qu’il ne pleuve. (I had to wall up the window before it rained.)
  2. Je craignais que le château ne soit contre-muré pour se protéger des barbares. (I was afraid that the castle would be walled up to protect itself from the barbarians.)
  3. Nous avions peur qu’il ne contre-murât l’entrée pour empêcher les intrus d’entrer. (We were afraid that he would wall up the entrance to prevent intruders from entering.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je contre-murasse Il serait difficile que je contre-murasse si fort. It would be difficult for me to wall up so strongly.
tu contre-murasses Je n’avais pas peur que tu contre-murasses trop vite. I wasn’t afraid that you would wall up too quickly.
il contre-murât Il était nécessaire que il contre-murât rapidement. It was necessary for him to wall up quickly.
elle contre-murât Je suis contente que elle contre-murât la maison. I am happy that she walled up the house.
on contre-murât Il faudrait qu’on contre-murât le château pour le protéger. We would have to wall up the castle to protect it.
nous contre-murassions Je conseillais que nous contre-murassions le jardin. I was suggesting that we wall up the garden.
vous contre-murassiez Il était important que vous contre-murassiez la ville. It was important for you to wall up the city.
ils contre-murassent Je suis curieux de savoir si ils contre-murassent le bâtiment. I am curious to know if they walled up the building.
elles contre-murassent Il serait intéressant de voir si elles contre-murassent leurs maisons. It would be interesting to see if they walled up their houses.

Other Conjugations for Contre-Murer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Contre-Murer – 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 contre-murer. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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