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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb capoter

Get the Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) tense conjugation of capoter. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb capoter is “to flip out” or “to lose one’s mind.” It is pronounced as “ka-poh-tay” in its infinitive form.

Capoter comes from the French word “capote,” meaning “bonnet” or “hood.” It first appeared in the 16th century and was used to describe the act of covering or protecting something, similar to how a hood or bonnet protects the head. Over time, it evolved to also mean “to lose one’s head” or “to go crazy.”

In everyday French, capoter is most often used in the Conditionnel Présent tense, which expresses a hypothetical or possible action in the present. Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Si je gagnais à la loterie, je capoterais. (If I won the lottery, I would flip out.)
  2. Tu capoterais si tu savais ce qu’il a dit. (You would lose your mind if you knew what he said.)
  3. Nous capoterions si on nous offrait un voyage gratuit. (We would go crazy if we were offered a free trip.)

These examples show how capoter is used to express a strong emotional reaction or a loss of control in a hypothetical situation. It is often used in a humorous or exaggerated way to describe someone’s reaction.

Table of the Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of capoter

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je capoterais Je capoterais si je gagnais. I would freak out if I won.
tu capoterais Tu capoterais trop vite. You would freak out too quickly.
il capoterait Il capoterait s’il était là. He would freak out if he were here.
elle capoterait Elle capoterait de joie. She would freak out of joy.
on capoterait On capoterait en silence. One would freak out in silence.
nous capoterions Nous capoterions en voiture. We would freak out in the car.
vous capoteriez Vous capoteriez en vacances. You would freak out on vacation.
ils capoteraient Ils capoteraient samedi soir. They would freak out on Saturday night.
elles capoteraient Elles capoteraient ensemble. They would freak out together.

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 (this article)

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the capoter Conditionnel Présent tense conjugation!

Capoter – About the French Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense

The French “Conditionnel Présent” tense, often called the present conditional tense in English, is used to express actions or events that are considered hypothetical, possible, or uncertain in the present or future. It’s the equivalent of “would” or “could” in English.

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

Formation

To form the Conditionnel Présent tense for regular verbs, you take the infinitive form of the verb and add the appropriate endings. For example, using the verb “parler” (to speak): 

Je parlerais (I would speak) 
Tu parlerais (You would speak)
Il/elle/on parlerait (He/she/one would speak)
Nous parlerions (We would speak) 
Vous parleriez (You would speak)
Ils/elles parleraient (They would speak) 

Note – For irregular verbs, the stem might change, so you need to memorize the conjugation.

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

Expressing Polite Requests

The Conditionnel Présent is often used to make polite requests or suggestions. Instead of using the imperative, which can be more direct, the conditional is softer and more courteous. For example: “Je voudrais un café, s’il vous plaît” (I would like a coffee, please). 

Expressing Hypothetical Situations

It’s used to talk about hypothetical or unreal situations. For instance, “Si j’avais de l’argent, j’achèterais une nouvelle voiture” (If I had money, I would buy a new car). 

Expressing Doubt or Uncertainty

The conditional can convey doubt or uncertainty about something in the present or future. “Il serait peut-être en retard” (He might be late).

Interactions with Other Tenses

Present Tense

The Conditionnel Présent is often used with the present tense to express hypothetical or conditional statements. For example, “Si tu viens demain, nous irons au cinéma” (If you come tomorrow, we will go to the movies). 

Past Tense

The Conditionnel Présent can also be used with past tenses like the imparfait to indicate a past hypothetical action. For instance, “J’aurais aimé être là hier” (I would have liked to be there yesterday). 

Future Tense

The Conditionnel Présent can be combined with the future tense to indicate future actions that are dependent on certain conditions. For example, “Il viendrait si tu l’invitais” (He would come if you invited him).
 

Conditional Perfect

If you want to express a hypothetical action in the past that didn’t happen, you can use the Conditionnel Présent with the past participle to form the conditional perfect. For example, “Il aurait fini son travail s’il n’était pas tombé malade” (He would have finished his work if he hadn’t gotten sick).

Summary

The Conditionnel Présent is a versatile tense in French, allowing speakers to discuss possibilities, hypothetical scenarios, and make polite requests. It’s essential to understand its usage patterns and how it interacts with other tenses to communicate effectively in various situations.

Want More?

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb capoter. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

Similar Posts