Log inSign up

Il allait poster le colis, mais il a eu un contretemps.

Il allait poster le colis, mais il a eu un contretemps.
He was going to mail the package, but he had a setback.
From Lesson 258:Unfulfilled past intentions (allait + infinitive)·French

Questions & Answers about Il allait poster le colis, mais il a eu un contretemps.

How does allait poster show that the action didn't actually happen?
By putting aller in the imparfait (allait) and adding an infinitive (poster), you are saying he "was going to post" it. The imparfait describes an ongoing past intention. The second half of the sentence then introduces a complication, making it clear this plan was unfulfilled.
Why switch to the passé composé for a eu?
This sentence perfectly shows how the two past tenses work together. The imparfait (allait) sets up the background intention, while the passé composé (a eu) describes the sudden, completed event (the setback) that interrupted his plans.
Where does the word contretemps come from?
It literally translates to "against" (contre) "time" (temps), which is a great way to remember that it means a setback, hitch, or unforeseen delay that messes up your schedule! Notice that it keeps the silent -s at the end even though it is singular here (un contretemps).
Does poster only mean to mail a physical package?
Traditionally, yes, it means to put something in the mail (related to la poste, the post office). However, in modern everyday French, you will also hear poster used to mean posting a message or a picture on the internet.

Learn Il allait poster le colis, mais il a eu un contretemps and more in French

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning French →