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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contremander

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The English translation of the French verb contremander is “to countermand.” It is pronounced as “kon-truh-mahn-day” in its infinitive form.

The language origin of contremander comes from the French words “contre” meaning “against” and “mander” meaning “to command.” It is most often used in every day French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is a past tense used to express a possibility, doubt, or wish.

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Il fallait que je te contremande avant que tu ne partes. (I had to countermand you before you left.)
  2. J’aurais aimé que tu me contremandes plus tôt. (I wish you had countermanded me earlier.)
  3. Si je pouvais, je te contremanderais tout de suite. (If I could, I would countermand you right away.)

English translations:

  1. I had to countermand you before you left.
  2. I wish you had countermanded me earlier.
  3. If I could, I would countermand you right away.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je contremandasse Si je n’étais pas fatigué, je contremandasse le rendez-vous. If I wasn’t tired, I would cancel the appointment.
tu contremandasses Si tu avais plus de temps, tu contremandasses la réservation. If you had more time, you would cancel the reservation.
il contremandât Il serait en colère si il contremandât le vol. He would be angry if he cancelled the flight.
elle contremandât Elle serait déçue si elle contremandât la fête. She would be disappointed if she cancelled the party.
on contremandât Si on contremandât le concert, ça serait dommage. If one cancelled the concert, it would be a shame.
nous contremandassions Si nous contremandassions la réunion, nous aurions plus de temps libre. If we cancelled the meeting, we would have more free time.
vous contremandassiez Si vous contremandassiez le dîner, nous pourrions manger ensemble. If you cancelled dinner, we could eat together.
ils contremandassent S’ils contremandassent le projet, ça serait un échec. If they cancelled the project, it would be a failure.
elles contremandassent Si elles contremandassent leurs plans, elles pourraient venir avec nous. If they cancelled their plans, they could come with us.

Other Conjugations for Contremander.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contremander
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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