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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb caper

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of caper. 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 caper is “to skip” or “to prance.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “kah-pay.”

The word “caper” comes from the Latin word capparis, which refers to the type of Mediterranean plant that produces capers. In everyday French, the verb caper is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English.

Here are three simple examples of how caper is used in the Plus-que-parfait tense in everyday French:

  1. J’avais capé dans le jardin quand j’ai vu un papillon. (I had skipped in the garden when I saw a butterfly.)

  2. Tu avais capé devant le miroir quand je suis rentré. (You had pranced in front of the mirror when I came home.)

  3. Il avait capé le long de la plage pendant des heures avant de se fatiguer. (He had been skipping along the beach for hours before getting tired.)

Table of the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of caper

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais capé J’avais capé la bouteille. I had put the cap on the bottle.
tu tu avais capé Tu avais capé le stylo. You had put the cap on the pen.
il il avait capé Il avait capé le tube. He had put the cap on the tube.
elle elle avait capé Elle avait capé le récipient. She had put the cap on the container.
on on avait capé On avait capé la boîte. One had put the cap on the box.
nous nous avions capé Nous avions capé le pot. We had put the cap on the jar.
vous vous aviez capé Vous aviez capé le couvercle. You had put the cap on the lid.
ils ils avaient capé Ils avaient capé le contenant. They had put the cap on the container.
elles elles avaient capé Elles avaient capé la bouteille. They had put the cap on the bottle.

Other Conjugations for Caper.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caper
   

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

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

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

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

    Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caper     (this article)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    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 caper Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

Caper – About the French Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense

The French “plus-que-parfait” tense is a past tense used to express actions or events that occurred before another past action or event. It is often translated to English as the “pluperfect” tense. The name “plus-que-parfait” literally means “more than perfect,” indicating that it is a tense used to describe actions that were completed before a specific point in the past.
NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Tense Formation

To form the plus-que-parfait tense, you typically use the auxiliary verb “avoir” (to have) or “être” (to be) in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb. Here are the conjugations for both auxiliary verbs:
1. With “avoir” as the auxiliary verb:
   – J’avais mangé (I had eaten)
   – Tu avais parlé (You had spoken)
   – Il/elle/on avait fini (He/She/One had finished)
   – Nous avions lu (We had read)
   – Vous aviez choisi (You had chosen)
   – Ils/elles avaient joué (They had played)
2. With “être” as the auxiliary verb (usually for intransitive verbs or verbs indicating a state):
   – J’étais parti(e) (I had left)
   – Tu étais arrivé(e) (You had arrived)
   – Il/elle/on était tombé(e) (He/She/One had fallen)
   – Nous étions resté(e)s (We had stayed)
   – Vous étiez né(e)(s) (You had been born)
   – Ils/elles étaient monté(e)s (They had gone up)

Common everyday usage patterns

Sequencing of past events

The plus-que-parfait is used to express a past action that happened before another past action. For example, “J’avais mangé avant qu’il ne soit arrivé” (I had eaten before he arrived).

Background information

It is also used to provide background information or set the stage for a main past event. For instance, “Quand je suis arrivé, ils avaient déjà fini de manger” (When I arrived, they had already finished eating).

Hypothetical or reported speech

In indirect speech, the plus-que-parfait is used to report what someone had said or thought in the past. For example, “Il avait dit qu’il viendrait demain” (He had said that he would come tomorrow).

Interactions with other tenses

– The plus-que-parfait is often used in conjunction with the passé composé (simple past) to establish the sequence of past events. The passé composé describes the more recent action, while the plus-que-parfait describes the action that occurred earlier.
– It can also be used with the conditional mood to express a hypothetical past event, like “Si j’avais su, j’aurais agi différemment” (If I had known, I would have acted differently).
– When used in reported speech, it can be combined with the conditional mood or the imperfect subjunctive to reflect the original mood and tense of the reported statement.

Summary

The French plus-que-parfait tense is an essential part of the language for expressing past actions that occurred before other past actions, providing background information, and reporting past statements or thoughts. It is an integral component of constructing complex and accurate narratives in French.

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

Similar Posts