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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb capitonner

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The English translation of the French verb capitonner is “to pad” or “to cushion.” It is pronounced as [ka.pi.tɔ.ne] in the infinitive form.

The word capitonner comes from the French noun “capiton,” meaning “padding” or “cushion,” which itself comes from the Latin word “capitio,” meaning “to stuff.” It is most often used in everyday French to describe the action of adding padding or cushions to furniture or objects.

In the Conditionnel Passé tense, capitonner is used to express the hypothetical past tense, with the English equivalent being “would have padded” or “would have cushioned.” Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. Si j’avais su, j’aurais capitonné le canapé. (If I had known, I would have padded the sofa.)
  2. Tu aurais mieux fait de capitonner le mur avant de peindre. (You should have padded the wall before painting.)
  3. Il aurait probablement capitonné le coffre pour le rendre plus confortable. (He would probably have cushioned the trunk to make it more comfortable.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais capitonné Si j’avais su, j’aurais capitonné le fauteuil. I would have padded the armchair if I had known.
tu aurais capitonné Tu aurais capitonné le canapé. You would have padded the couch.
il aurait capitonné Il aurait capitonné le siège. He would have padded the seat.
elle aurait capitonné Elle aurait capitonné le lit. She would have padded the bed.
on aurait capitonné On aurait capitonné la chaise. One would have padded the chair.
nous aurions capitonné Nous aurions capitonné tous les meubles. We would have padded all the furniture.
vous auriez capitonné Vous auriez capitonné les coussins. You would have padded the cushions.
ils auraient capitonné Ils auraient capitonné les murs. They would have padded the walls.
elles auraient capitonné Elles auraient capitonné les fauteuils. They (female) would have padded the armchairs.

Other Conjugations for Capitonner.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb capitonner
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Capitonner – 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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