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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb capituler

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) 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, “capituler,” is pronounced as [ka-pi-ty-le].

The verb “capituler” originated from the Latin word “capitulare,” which means “to make terms” or “to settle by agreement.” In everyday French, the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken language but is commonly found in written texts, literature, or historical contexts to express actions that occurred in the past.

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

  1. Napoléon capitula devant les armées alliées.
    (Napoleon surrendered to the allied armies.)

  2. Après une longue bataille, l’ennemi capitula enfin.
    (After a long battle, the enemy finally surrendered.)

  3. La ville capitula après plusieurs semaines de siège.
    (The city capitulated after several weeks of siege.)

Table of the Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of capituler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je capitulai J’ai capitulai devant l’ennemi. I surrendered to the enemy.
Tu capitulas Tu capitulas rapidement. You surrendered quickly.
Il capitula Il capitula devant la pression. He surrendered under pressure.
Elle capitula Elle capitula devant ses peurs. She surrendered to her fears.
On capitula On capitula sans condition. One surrendered unconditionally.
Nous capitulâmes Nous capitulâmes pour éviter la guerre. We surrendered to avoid war.
Vous capitulâtes Vous capitulâtes devant le chef. You surrendered to the boss.
Ils capitulèrent Ils capitulèrent face à l’adversité. They surrendered in the face of adversity.
Elles capitulèrent Elles capitulèrent devant les demandes. They (feminine) surrendered to the demands.

Other Conjugations for Capituler.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb capituler

Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb capituler (You’re reading it right now!)

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 Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

Capituler – About the French Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense

The French Passé Simple, also known as the Simple Past or Preterite, is a past tense used in written French to describe completed actions that took place at a specific point in the past.
It is not commonly used in everyday spoken language, where the Passé Composé is the preferred past tense. The Passé Simple is mainly found in literature, formal writing, and historical contexts. It has a somewhat limited use in modern French, and its conjugation can be complex.  
NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see our article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation

The Passé Simple is formed by conjugating the verb according to its specific endings for regular and irregular verbs. The endings typically vary based on the verb group (i.e., -er, -ir, or -re). For example:
   – For regular -er verbs (e.g., manger, parler): Remove the -er ending and add appropriate endings, like -ai, -as, -a, -âmes, -âtes, -èrent.
   – For regular -ir verbs (e.g., finir, choisir): Remove the -ir ending and add endings like -is, -is, -it, -îmes, -îtes, -irent.
   – For regular -re verbs (e.g., vendre, attendre): Remove the -re ending and add endings like -is, -is, -it, -îmes, -îtes, -irent.

Usage

Narration

The Passé Simple is commonly used in literature to describe past events in a narrative or storytelling context.

Historical Context

It can be used in historical writing or documents to discuss events that took place in the past.
Formal Writing
In formal or academic writing, especially in essays or reports, you might encounter the Passé Simple.

Interactions with other tenses

Passé Composé

In everyday spoken French, the Passé Composé is the go-to tense for describing completed actions in the past. The Passé Simple is not commonly used in spoken language and is often replaced by the Passé Composé.

Imparfait

While the Passé Simple focuses on completed actions in the past, the Imparfait is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. They can sometimes be used together to provide a more detailed past narrative. For example, “Il lisait un livre quand il reçut un appel.” (He was reading a book when he received a call).

Conditional and Subjunctive

The Passé Simple can also be found in the conditional and subjunctive moods in formal writing. For instance, “Il faudrait qu’il partît” (He should leave, subjunctive).

Summary

The French Passé Simple is primarily used in formal or literary contexts, and its conjugation can be quite complex. In everyday spoken French, the Passé Composé is the preferred past tense for describing completed actions.

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply