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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contretyper

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The English translation of the French verb contretyper is “to make a carbon copy” or “to make a duplicate.” The infinitive form is pronounced “kohn-truh-tee-pay.”

The word contretyper comes from the French prefix “contre” meaning “against” or “opposite” and the verb “typer” meaning “to type.” Together, they create the meaning of making a copy that is opposite or against the original.

In everyday French, contretyper is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is often used in formal or legal contexts.

Here are three examples of its usage in this tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. Il fallait que je contretype le contrat avant de le signer. (I had to make a carbon copy of the contract before signing it.)
  2. Le notaire a exigé que nous contretypons tous les documents avant de les envoyer. (The notary required us to make duplicates of all the documents before sending them.)
  3. Si j’avais su, j’aurais contretyper le formulaire avant de l’envoyer. (If I had known, I would have made a carbon copy of the form before sending it.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je contretype Il faudrait que je contretype le dessin. I would have to trace the drawing.
tu contretypes Si tu contretypes le texte, je ferai la mise en page. If you trace the text, I will do the layout.
il contretype Il voulait que je contretype les lettres. He wanted me to trace the letters.
elle contretype Elle préférait que je lui contretype le livre. She preferred me to trace the book for her.
on contretype Il fallait qu’on contretype les photos avant de les publier. We needed to trace the photos before publishing them.
nous contretypions Nous contretypions les plans ensemble pour gagner du temps. We traced the plans together to save time.
vous contretypiez Si vous contretypiez le document, il sera prêt pour la réunion. If you trace the document, it will be ready for the meeting.
ils contretype Il était important qu’ils contretype le texte avant la deadline. It was important for them to trace the text before the deadline.
elles contretype Elles voulaient que je contretype les dessins pour le projet. They wanted me to trace the drawings for the project.

Other Conjugations for Contretyper.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contretyper
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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