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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contreficher

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The English translation for the French verb contreficher is “to twist or bend.”

The infinitive form of contreficher is pronounced kawn-truh-feesh-ey.

The word contreficher comes from the combination of the prefix contre- (meaning “against”) and the word ficher (meaning “to fix”). Its literal meaning is to fix against or to twist.

In everyday French, contreficher is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. This tense is used to talk about actions that could have happened but did not actually occur.

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Il fallait que je contrefiche ces fils avant de les couper. (It was necessary for me to twist these wires before cutting them.)
  2. Je doutais qu’il contrefiche mes arguments pour me convaincre. (I doubted he would twist my arguments to convince me.)
  3. Elle n’était pas sûre que le mécanisme se contrefiche facilement. (She wasn’t sure if the mechanism would twist easily.)

English translations:

  1. It was necessary for me to twist these wires before cutting them.
  2. I doubted he would twist my arguments to convince me.
  3. She wasn’t sure if the mechanism would twist easily.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je contrefichasse Si j’avais du temps, je contrefichasse les règles. If I had time, I would disregard the rules.
tu contrefichasses Si tu étais plus rebelle, tu contrefichasses les conventions. If you were more rebellious, you would defy conventions.
il contrefichât Il serait content si il contrefichât les ordres. He would be happy if he ignored the orders.
elle contrefichât Elle serait surprise si elle contrefichât les règles. She would be surprised if she disregarded the rules.
on contrefichât Si on contrefichât les normes, on serait plus libre. If one defied norms, one would be more free.
nous contrefichassions Si nous contrefichassions les lois, ça serait dangereux. If we ignored the laws, it would be dangerous.
vous contrefichassiez Si vous contrefichassiez les règles, ça serait plus amusant. If you disregarded the rules, it would be more fun.
ils contrefichassent S’ils contrefichassent les conventions, ça serait scandaleux. If they defied conventions, it would be scandalous.
elles contrefichassent Si elles contrefichassent les règles, ça serait dangereux. If they disregarded the rules, it would be dangerous.

Other Conjugations for Contreficher.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contreficher
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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