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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contremarquer

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The English translation of the French verb contremarquer is “to overwrite” or “to mark over.” The infinitive form, contremarquer, is pronounced as “kon-truh-mar-kay.”

The word contremarquer comes from the French prefix “contre,” meaning “against,” and the verb “marquer,” meaning “to mark.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express an action that is uncertain or hypothetical in the past.

Examples in Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Je doutais qu’il contremarquât mes changements. (I doubted that he would overwrite my changes.)
  2. Il était possible que nous contremarquassions nos erreurs avant l’envoi. (It was possible that we would mark over our mistakes before sending it.)
  3. Elle souhaitait que je contremarquasse son nom sur le contrat. (She wished that I would mark over her name on the contract.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je contremarquasse Si j’étais riche, je contremarquasse tous les articles. If I were rich, I would mark down all the items.
tu contremarquasses Si tu savais les prix, tu contremarquasses les articles. If you knew the prices, you would mark down the items.
il contremarquât Il serait utile si il contremarquât les articles. It would be useful if he marked down the items.
elle contremarquât Elle serait surprise si elle contremarquât le prix. She would be surprised if she marked down the price.
on contremarquât Si on les contremarquât avant, on pourrait économiser. If one marked them down beforehand, one could save money.
nous contremarquassions Si nous les contremarquassions ensemble, ça serait plus rapide. If we marked them down together, it would be faster.
vous contremarquassiez Si vous contremarquassiez plus souvent, vous auriez plus de clients. If you marked down more often, you would have more customers.
ils contremarquassent S’ils contremarquassent tout, ça serait plus organisé. If they marked down everything, it would be more organized.
elles contremarquassent Si elles contremarquassent les articles ensemble, ça serait plus efficace. If they marked down the items together, it would be more efficient.

Other Conjugations for Contremarquer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contremarquer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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