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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb capoter

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The English translation of the French verb capoter is “to flip out” or “to go crazy.” It is pronounced as “ka-po-tay” in its infinitive form.

The word capoter comes from the French noun “capot,” which means “hood” or “bonnet.” In the past, when someone would flip their hood over their head, it was seen as a sign of losing control or going crazy. Over time, this association led to the verb capoter being used to describe someone who is losing control or acting irrationally.

In everyday French, capoter is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense to express something that would have flipped someone out or made them go crazy if it had happened. This tense is formed by using the conditional form of the auxiliary verb avoir or être followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Three simple examples of capoter in the Conditionnel Passé tense are:

  1. Si j’avais raté mon examen, j’aurais complètement capoté. (If I had failed my exam, I would have completely flipped out.)

  2. Nous serions capotés si nous avions perdu notre argent en bourse. (We would have gone crazy if we had lost our money in the stock market.)

  3. Est-ce que tu aurais capoté si ta voiture avait été volée? (Would you have flipped out if your car had been stolen?)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais capoté Si tu avais écouté, je t’aurais capoté. I would have freaked out on you if you had listened.
tu aurais capoté Tu aurais capoté aussi. You would have freaked out too.
il aurait capoté Il aurait capoté en voyant ça. He would have freaked out seeing that.
elle aurait capoté Elle aurait capoté si elle avait su. She would have freaked out if she had known.
on aurait capoté On aurait capoté en conduisant. One would have freaked out while driving.
nous aurions capoté Nous aurions capoté en apprenant la nouvelle. We would have freaked out upon hearing the news.
vous auriez capoté Vous auriez capoté s’il avait continué. You would have freaked out if he had kept going.
ils auraient capoté Ils auraient capoté en le voyant. They would have freaked out upon seeing him.
elles auraient capoté Elles auraient capoté en voyant ça. They (female) would have freaked out seeing that.

Other Conjugations for Capoter.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb capoter
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Capoter – 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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