Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contrebalancer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contrebalancer

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The English translation of the French verb contrebalancer is “to counterbalance” or “to offset.” It is pronounced “kon-truh-bal-on-say” in its infinitive form.

The word contrebalancer comes from the prefix “contre” meaning “against” and the verb “balancer” meaning “to balance.” It is most commonly used in everyday French to describe an action or process that helps to balance or offset something.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, contrebalancer is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is often used to express a condition or situation that would have been balanced or offset if certain conditions had been met.

Example 1: Si j’avais plus d’argent, je contrebalancerais mes dépenses excessives. (If I had more money, I would counterbalance my excessive spending.)

Example 2: S’il était arrivé à l’heure, nous n’aurions pas eu besoin de contrebalancer notre horaire pour le projet. (If he had arrived on time, we wouldn’t have needed to offset our schedule for the project.)

Example 3: Si nous n’avions pas contrebalancé notre alimentation, nous aurions pris du poids. (If we hadn’t balanced our diet, we would have gained weight.)

In these examples, the Subjonctif Imparfait form of contrebalancer is used to express a hypothetical action or outcome in the past, if certain conditions had been met. The English translations reflect this sense of uncertainty or conditionality in the tense.

Table of the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of contrebalancer

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je contrebalançasse Si j’avais plus de temps, je contrebalançasse mes activités. If I had more time, I would balance my activities.
tu contrebalançasses Si tu dormais moins, tu contrebalançasses ton énergie. If you slept less, you would balance your energy.
il contrebalançât Il serait plus calme s’il contrebalançât ses émotions. He would be calmer if he balanced his emotions.
elle contrebalançât Elle serait plus productive si elle contrebalançât ses tâches. She would be more productive if she balanced her tasks.
on contrebalançât Si on contrebalançât mieux, on réussirait plus. If one balanced better, one would succeed more.
nous contrebalancions Si nous contrebalancions nos dépenses, nous aurions plus d’argent. If we balanced our expenses, we would have more money.
vous contrebalanciez Si vous contrebalanciez vos opinions, vous comprendriez mieux. If you balanced your opinions, you would understand better.
ils contrebalançaient S’ils contrebalançaient leur travail avec du temps pour eux, ils seraient plus heureux. If they balanced their work with some time for themselves, they would be happier.
elles contrebalançaient Si elles contrebalançaient leur vie professionnelle et leur vie personnelle, elles seraient plus équilibrées. If they balanced their professional life and their personal life, they would be more balanced.

Other Conjugations for Contrebalancer.

   
    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb contrebalancer
   

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contrebalancer
   

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contrebalancer
   

    Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contrebalancer
   

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contrebalancer
   

    Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contrebalancer
   

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

    Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contrebalancer

    Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contrebalancer

    Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contrebalancer

    Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contrebalancer
   

    Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contrebalancer (this article)

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

    Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contrebalancer
   

    Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contrebalancer

    L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contrebalancer

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contrebalancer

    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!
   

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Contrebalancer – 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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