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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contre-plaquer

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The English translation of contre-plaquer is “to counter-check” or “to counteract.” It is pronounced as “kohn-truh-plah-key” in the infinitive form.

The language origin of contre-plaquer can be broken down into its individual components. “Contre” is a preposition meaning “against” and “plaquer” is a verb meaning “to check, stop, or push.” Together, they form a compound verb that conveys the idea of opposing or counteracting something.

In everyday French, contre-plaquer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical situation or a desire for something to happen in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Il fallait que je contre-plaquasse ses plans. (I had to counter-check his plans.)
  2. Nous espérions que vous contre-plaquassiez leurs attaques. (We were hoping you would counteract their attacks.)
  3. Elle aurait préféré que nous contre-plaquassions cette loi. (She would have preferred us to counter-check this law.)

In all of these examples, the Subjonctif Imparfait form of contre-plaquer is used to express a past action or situation that may or may not have happened. It conveys a sense of doubt or uncertainty, and is often used in more formal or literary contexts.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je contre-plaquasse Je ferais mieux de partir pour que je contre-plaquasse pas. I should leave so I wouldn’t get tackled.
tu contre-plaquasses Si tu jouais plus prudemment, tu contre-plaquasses plus efficacement. If you played more cautiously, you would tackle more effectively.
il contre-plaquât Il se blesserait si il contre-plaquât trop fort. He would get hurt if he tackled too hard.
elle contre-plaquât Elle ne pourrait pas si elle contre-plaquât sans réfléchir. She wouldn’t be able to if she tackled without thinking.
on contre-plaquât Si on contre-plaquât mieux, on gagnerait le match. If we tackled better, we would win the game.
nous contre-plaquassions Si nous contre-plaquassions ensemble, nous serions plus forts. If we tackled together, we would be stronger.
vous contre-plaquassiez Si vous contre-plaquassiez plus souvent, vous seriez plus en forme. If you tackled more often, you would be in better shape.
ils contre-plaquassent S’ils contre-plaquassent plus intelligemment, ils marqueraient plus. If they tackled more intelligently, they would score more.
elles contre-plaquassent Si elles contre-plaquassent comme ça, elles gagneraient le match. If they tackled like that, they would win the game.

Other Conjugations for Contre-Plaquer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Contre-Plaquer – 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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