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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contre-sceller

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The English translation of the French verb contre-sceller is “to counterseal.” The infinitive form is pronounced “kawn-truh-seh-leh.”

The word contre-sceller is a compound verb made up of the prefix contre- (meaning “against” or “opposite”) and the verb sceller (meaning “to seal”). It is a relatively modern term, first appearing in the early 19th century.

In everyday French, contre-sceller is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is often used in legal or administrative contexts to describe the action of placing a counterseal or secondary seal on a document to confirm its authenticity.

Examples:

  1. Il fallait que le notaire contre-scelle les contrats pour qu’ils soient valables. (It was necessary for the notary to counterseal the contracts for them to be valid.)
  2. Nous avons reçu un document contre-scellé par l’ambassadeur. (We received a document countersealed by the ambassador.)
  3. Je souhaitais que le juge contre-scellât la décision avant de la rendre publique. (I wished for the judge to counterseal the decision before making it public.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je contre-scellasse J’ai peur qu’il contre-scellasse le contrat avant de le lire. I’m afraid he might seal the contract before reading it.
tu contre-scellasses Le notaire te demandera si tu contre-scellasses le document. The notary will ask you if you seal the document.
il contre-scellât Il serait important qu’il contre-scellât le testament. It would be important for him to seal the will.
elle contre-scellât Elle avait peur que sa mère contre-scellât le secret. She was afraid her mother would seal the secret.
on contre-scellât Je ne suis pas sûr qu’on contre-scellât le colis correctement. I’m not sure we sealed the package correctly.
nous contre-scellions Il faut qu’on contre-scellions le dossier avant qu’il soit trop tard. We need to seal the file before it’s too late.
vous contre-scelliez Vous devez vous assurer que vous contre-scelliez correctement les bocaux. You need to make sure you properly seal the jars.
ils contre-scellassent Ils ne voulaient pas que leurs enfants contre-scellassent les portes de leur chambre. They didn’t want their children to seal the doors of their room.
elles contre-scellassent Elles n’étaient pas sûres qu’elles contre-scellassent bien la porte. They were not sure they sealed the door properly.

Other Conjugations for Contre-Sceller.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Contre-Sceller – 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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