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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb capitonner

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The English translation of the French verb capitonner is “to pad” or “to upholster.” It is pronounced “ka-pee-ton-ay” in its infinitive form.

The word capitonner comes from the Latin word capitone, meaning “quilted” or “padded.” It entered the French language in the 12th century and has been used ever since to describe the act of adding padding or upholstery to furniture or objects.

In everyday French, capitonner is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to talk about an action that was already completed at a specific point in the past. Three simple examples of using capitonner in this tense are:

  1. J’avais capitonné ma chaise avant de la vendre. (I had padded my chair before selling it.)
  2. Nous avions capitonné le canapé pour qu’il soit plus confortable. (We had upholstered the sofa to make it more comfortable.)
  3. Les artisans avaient capitonné le trône du roi avec du velours rouge. (The craftsmen had padded the king’s throne with red velvet.)

These examples show the past perfect tense indicating that the action of padding or upholstering was completed before a specific point in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais capitonné J’avais capitonné le fauteuil. I had upholstered the armchair.
tu tu avais capitonné Tu avais capitonné le canapé. You had upholstered the couch.
il il avait capitonné Il avait capitonné le lit. He had upholstered the bed.
elle elle avait capitonné Elle avait capitonné la chaise. She had upholstered the chair.
on on avait capitonné On avait capitonné le sofa. One had upholstered the sofa.
nous nous avions capitonné Nous avions capitonné les sièges. We had upholstered the seats.
vous vous aviez capitonné Vous aviez capitonné les coussins. You had upholstered the cushions.
ils ils avaient capitonné Ils avaient capitonné les fauteuils. They had upholstered the armchairs.
elles elles avaient capitonné Elles avaient capitonné les chaises. They had upholstered the chairs.

Other Conjugations for Capitonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb capitonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Capitonner – 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 capitonner. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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