Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb capituler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb capituler

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of capituler. 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 “capituler” is “to surrender” or “to capitulate.” The infinitive form of “capituler” is pronounced as “kah-pee-tew-lay.”

“Capituler” originates from the Latin word “capitulare,” which means “to draw up terms.” In everyday French, it is most commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe past actions or states of surrender or capitulation. The imparfait tense is used to talk about ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Here are three simple examples of “capituler” in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Nous capitulions devant l’ennemi. (We were surrendering in front of the enemy.)
  2. Les rebelles capitulaient après des mois de combat. (The rebels were capitulating after months of fighting.)
  3. La ville capitulait chaque fois que l’armée ennemie approchait. (The city would capitulate every time the enemy army approached.)

These examples show how “capituler” is used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated instances of surrender or capitulation.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of capituler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je capitulais Je capitulais devant l’ennemi. I was surrendering to the enemy.
tu capitulais Tu capitulais facilement. You were surrendering easily.
il capitulait Il capitulait sans conditions. He was surrendering without conditions.
elle capitulait Elle capitulait devant sa peur. She was surrendering to her fear.
on capitulait On capitulait pour éviter les conflits. We were surrendering to avoid conflicts.
nous capitulions Nous capitulions pour sauver des vies. We were surrendering to save lives.
vous capituliez Vous capituliez face à la pression. You were surrendering under pressure.
ils capitulaient Ils capitulaient devant les forces ennemies. They were surrendering to enemy forces.
elles capitulaient Elles capitulaient trop rapidement. They were surrendering too quickly.

Other Conjugations for Capituler.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb capituler (You’re reading it right now!)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb capituler

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

L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb capituler

Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb capituler

Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb capituler

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 capituler imparfait tense conjugation! 

Capituler – About the French Imparfait Tense

The French imparfait tense, often called the imperfect tense in English, is used to describe actions or states in the past. It’s primarily used to provide background information, set the scene, or describe habitual or ongoing actions in the past.

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

Formation of the Imparfait Tense

To form the imparfait tense in French, you typically take the present tense nous form of the verb, drop the -ons ending, and add specific endings based on the verb group (regular -er, -ir, -re verbs) or use irregular forms for certain verbs.  

For regular -er verbs:

Take the infinitive form (e.g., parler, finir, rendre) Remove the -er ending Add the imparfait endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient 

For regular -ir verbs

Take the infinitive form (e.g., choisir, grandir, finir) Remove the -ir ending Add the imparfait endings: -issais, -issais, -issait, -issions, -issiez, -issaient 

For regular -re verbs

Take the infinitive form (e.g., vendre, attendre, entendre) Remove the -re ending Add the imparfait endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

Description of Past Habits

The imparfait is often used to describe habitual actions or situations in the past. For example: “Quand j’étais enfant, je jouais au football tous les jours.” (When I was a child, I used to play football every day.) 

Background Information

It’s used to provide background information or set the stage for a main event in the past. For instance: “Il faisait beau ce jour-là.” (The weather was nice that day.) 

Mental and Emotional States

It’s employed to express emotions, thoughts, or physical sensations in the past. For example: “J’étais content quand il est arrivé.” (I was happy when he arrived.) 

Ongoing Actions

The imparfait describes actions that were in progress or happening when something else occurred in the past. For instance: “Je lisais un livre quand le téléphone a sonné.” (I was reading a book when the phone rang.)

Points to Note About the Imparfait Tense

Passé Composé vs. Imparfait

The imparfait and passé composé (a compound past tense) are often used together to express the completion of an action in the past (passé composé) and provide context or background (imparfait). For example: “Il regardait la télévision quand son ami est arrivé.” (He was watching TV when his friend arrived.) 

Conditional

The imparfait is used as the base for forming the conditional mood in French. For instance, “Je mangerais” (I would eat) is formed from “je mangeais” (I was eating). 

Si Clauses

In hypothetical or “if” clauses (si clauses), the imparfait is often used to express a condition in the past. For example: “Si j’avais de l’argent, j’achèterais une nouvelle voiture.” (If I had money, I would buy a new car.) 

Narration

In storytelling or writing, the imparfait is frequently used to set the scene and describe ongoing actions while the passé composé is used for specific events or actions that interrupted the ongoing ones.
Understanding the French imperfect tense is crucial for effective communication in French. Without it, your conversations will always live in the present!

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply