Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb capuchonner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb capuchonner

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The English translation of the French verb “capuchonner” is “to cap” or “to put a hood on.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “capuchonner” is [ka.pu.ʃɔ.ne].

The term “capuchonner” comes from the French noun “capuchon,” meaning “hood” or “cap.” It is derived from the Old French word “chapel,” ultimately stemming from the Latin “cappellus.” In everyday French, “capuchonner” is most commonly used to describe the action of putting a hood on, like on a coat or a piece of clothing.

Here are three simple examples of “capuchonner” in the imparfait tense:

  1. Chaque fois qu’il pleuvait, elle capuchonnait son enfant avant de sortir.
    (Every time it rained, she would put a hood on her child before going out.)

  2. Pendant les mois d’hiver, il capuchonnait toujours sa tête pour se protéger du froid.
    (During the winter months, he would always hood his head to protect himself from the cold.)

  3. Quand j’étais petit, ma mère me capuchonnait souvent avant de m’envoyer à l’école.
    (When I was little, my mother would often hood me before sending me to school.)

English translations:

  1. Every time it rained, she put a hood on her child before going out.
  2. During the winter months, he always hooded his head to protect himself from the cold.
  3. When I was little, my mother would often hood me before sending me to school.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of capuchonner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je capuchonnais Je capuchonnais mon stylo. I was putting a cap on my pen.
tu capuchonnais Tu capuchonnais tes crayons. You were capping your pencils.
il capuchonnait Il capuchonnait son stylo. He was putting a cap on his pen.
elle capuchonnait Elle capuchonnait ses feutres. She was capping her markers.
on capuchonnait On capuchonnait nos stylos. We were putting caps on our pens.
nous capuchonnions Nous capuchonnions nos marqueurs. We were capping our markers.
vous capuchonniez Vous capuchonniez vos stylos. You were capping your pens.
ils capuchonnaient Ils capuchonnaient leurs crayons. They were capping their pencils.
elles capuchonnaient Elles capuchonnaient leurs feutres. They were capping their markers.

Other Conjugations for Capuchonner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Capuchonner – 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 capuchonner. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!

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