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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb caper

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The English translation of the French verb caper is “to frolic” or “to skip around.” The infinitive form of the verb is pronounced “KA-peh.”

The word “caper” comes from the Latin word “capparis” which refers to a small, tangy pickled bud often used in cooking. In ancient Rome, it was believed that goats would frolic and skip around after eating these buds, hence the association with playful and lively behavior.

In everyday French, the verb caper is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense (conditional perfect), which indicates an action that would have happened in the past if certain conditions had been met. It is formed by using the conditional form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” followed by the past participle of the verb.

Here are three simple examples of caper in the Conditionnel Passé tense, with their English translations:

  1. Si j’avais eu plus de temps, j’aurais capé dans les champs. (If I had more time, I would have frolicked in the fields.)
  2. Elle m’aurait capé la main si je n’avais pas attrapé le ballon. (She would have skipped around holding my hand if I hadn’t caught the ball.)
  3. Nous serions capés ensemble sur la plage si le temps avait été plus chaud. (We would have frolicked together on the beach if the weather had been warmer.)

Table of the Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of caper

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais capé Si j’avais su, j’aurais capé. I would have jumped.
tu aurais capé Tu aurais capé plus tôt. You would have jumped earlier.
il aurait capé Il aurait capé sur le rocher. He would have jumped on the rock.
elle aurait capé Elle aurait capé sur son lit. She would have jumped on her bed.
on aurait capé On aurait capé sur la plage. One would have jumped on the beach.
nous aurions capé Nous aurions capé en montagne. We would have jumped in the mountains.
vous auriez capé Vous auriez capé en dansant. You would have jumped while dancing.
ils auraient capé Ils auraient capé sur la piste de danse. They would have jumped on the dance floor.
elles auraient capé Elles auraient capé au concert. They (female) would have jumped at the concert.

Other Conjugations for Caper.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caper
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caper  (this article)

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

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


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Caper – About the French Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense

The French “Conditionnel Passé” is a compound tense used to express hypothetical or unreal actions in the past. It is formed by combining the conditional of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” and the past participle of the main verb.

NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation

Start with the conditional of the auxiliary verb: For most verbs, use “aurais” (for “avoir”) or “serais” (for “être”) as the conditional form. 

With “avoir”: j’aurais, tu aurais, il/elle/on aurait, nous aurions, vous auriez, ils/elles auraient. 
With “être”: je serais, tu serais, il/elle/on serait, nous serions, vous seriez, ils/elles seraient. 

Add the past participle of the main verb to this conditional form. 
For example, if you want to say “I would have done,” you would use “j’aurais fait.” If you want to say “She would have gone,” you would use “elle serait allée.”

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

Expressing Unreal Past Scenarios

The Conditionnel Passé is often used to talk about actions that did not happen in the past, but you are speculating about what would have occurred if they had. It’s a way to discuss hypothetical situations in the past. 

Si j’avais su, je t’aurais aidé. (If I had known, I would have helped you.)
Il serait venu s’il avait eu le temps. (He would have come if he had had the time.) 

Polite Requests or Suggestions

It can be used to make polite requests or suggestions in the past. 

Pourriez-vous m’aider, s’il vous plaît ? (Could you have helped me, please?) 

Expressing Doubt or Uncertainty

It can convey doubt or uncertainty regarding past events.

Il aurait peut-être oublié notre rendez-vous. (He might have forgotten our appointment.)

Interactions with Other Tenses

Conditional Present

You can use the Conditionnel Passé in combination with the conditional present to describe past actions that were hypothetical at the time they were spoken about. J’aurais aimé que tu m’appelles hier. (I would have liked you to call me yesterday.) 

Indicative Past Tenses

You might use the Conditionnel Passé alongside indicative past tenses like the passé composé to contrast hypothetical and real past events. Il est venu hier, mais s’il avait pu, il serait venu la semaine dernière. (He came yesterday, but if he could have, he would have come last week.) 

Conditional Future

In some cases, you can use the Conditionnel Passé in combination with the conditional future to discuss unreal past events that could have consequences in the future. Si j’avais réussi mon examen, j’aurais un meilleur travail. (If I had passed my exam, I would have a better job.)

Summary

In summary, the Conditionnel Passé is used to express hypothetical or unreal actions in the past. It is often used in conjunction with other tenses to convey various nuances in French, allowing speakers to discuss imaginary past scenarios, make polite requests, or express doubt about past events.

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