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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contresigner

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The English translation of the French verb contresigner is “to countersign.” The infinitive form, contresigner, is pronounced as “kohn-truh-seen-yea.”

The word contresigner is derived from the French prefix “contre,” meaning “against,” and the verb “signer,” meaning “to sign.” It is primarily used in legal and administrative contexts, where a document or contract requires a second signature as a form of verification or agreement.

In everyday French, contresigner is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is used in conjunction with the auxiliary verb “avoir” to form the Subjonctif Imparfait, as in “que j’eusse contresigné” (that I had countersigned).

Here are three simple examples of how contresigner is used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Il fallait que le notaire eût contresigné le contrat. (The notary had to have countersigned the contract.)
  2. Il était important que les témoins eussent contresigné le procès-verbal. (It was important that the witnesses had countersigned the minutes.)
  3. J’aurais préféré que la directrice eût contresigné le document. (I would have preferred if the director had countersigned the document.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je contresignasse J’aurais signé le contrat s’il fallait contresignasse. I would have signed the contract if I had to countersign.
tu contresignasses Si tu me le demandais, je contresignasses sans hésitation. If you asked me, I would countersign without hesitation.
il contresignât Il était important qu’il contresignât le document. It was important for him to countersign the document.
elle contresignât Elle voulait qu’on contresignât le contrat avant midi. She wanted us to countersign the contract before noon.
on contresignât Si on contresignât maintenant, on pourrait partir plus tôt. If we countersign now, we could leave earlier.
nous contresignassions Si nous contresignassions plus rapidement, ça serait fini. If we countersigned more quickly, it would be finished.
vous contresignassiez Il fallait que vous contresignassiez avant de partir. You had to countersign before leaving.
ils contresignassent Si ils contresignassent ensemble, ils auraient moins de travail. If they countersigned together, they would have less work.
elles contresignassent Si elles contresignassent plus souvent, ça serait plus facile. If they countersigned more often, it would be easier.

Other Conjugations for Contresigner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contresigner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Contresigner – 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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