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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contrebuter

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The English translation of the French verb contrebuter is “to contribute” or “to make a contribution.” It is pronounced “kohn-truh-byoo-tay.”

The word contrebuter comes from the French words “contre” which means “against” or “towards” and “buter” which means “to hit” or “to bump.” In every day French, it is most often used in the subjunctive imperfect tense to express a wish or desire for something to have contributed to a certain situation in the past.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the subjunctive imperfect tense:

  1. Je souhaiterais que tu contrebutes plus à nos projets. (I wish you would contribute more to our projects.)

  2. Il fallait que nous contrebutassions chacun à notre tour pour atteindre notre objectif. (We had to take turns contributing in order to reach our goal.)

  3. J’aurais aimé que vous contrebutiez à la réalisation de mon rêve. (I would have liked for you to contribute to making my dream come true.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je contrebutasse Si j’étais riche, je contrebutasse. If I were rich, I would contribute.
tu contrebutasses Si tu participais, tu contrebutasses. If you participated, you would contribute.
il contrebutât Il serait content si il contrebutât. He would be happy if he contributed.
elle contrebutât Elle serait surprise si elle contrebutât. She would be surprised if she contributed.
on contrebutât Si on contrebutât plus, on aiderait plus de personnes. If one contributed more, one would help more people.
nous contrebutassions Si nous contrebutassions ensemble, nous pourrions faire plus. If we contributed together, we could do more.
vous contrebutassiez Si vous contrebutassiez, vous pourriez faire une différence. If you contributed, you could make a difference.
ils contrebutassent S’ils contrebutassent plus, ils pourraient aider davantage. If they contributed more, they could help more.
elles contrebutassent Si elles contrebutassent, elles pourraient faire une différence. If they contributed, they could make a difference.

Other Conjugations for Contrebuter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contrebuter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Contrebuter – 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 contrebuter. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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