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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb capituler

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The English translation of the French verb capituler is “to capitulate.” It is pronounced “kah-pih-tyoo-lay.”

The word “capituler” comes from the Latin word “capitulum,” meaning “chapter” or “section.” In French, it is most often used in the context of surrender or giving in to someone or something.

In everyday French, the verb capituler is commonly used in the plus-que-parfait tense, which corresponds to the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past.

Here are three examples of using capituler in the plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. Les soldats avaient capitulé avant l’arrivée des renforts. (The soldiers had surrendered before the reinforcements arrived.)

  2. Elle avait capitulé face à ses parents et avait choisi d’abandonner ses études d’art. (She had given in to her parents and had chosen to give up her art studies.)

  3. L’entreprise avait capitulé devant les demandes des syndicats et avait accepté d’augmenter les salaires. (The company had surrendered to the demands of the unions and had agreed to increase salaries.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais capitulé J’avais capitulé après la bataille. I had surrendered after the battle.
tu tu avais capitulé Tu avais capitulé devant leur demande. You had capitulated to their demand.
il il avait capitulé Il avait capitulé devant l’ennemi. He had surrendered to the enemy.
elle elle avait capitulé Elle avait capitulé devant leur pression. She had capitulated to their pressure.
on on avait capitulé On avait capitulé devant leur ultimatum. One had capitulated to their ultimatum.
nous nous avions capitulé Nous avions capitulé devant leur force. We had capitulated to their force.
vous vous aviez capitulé Vous aviez capitulé devant leur avantage. You had capitulated to their advantage.
ils ils avaient capitulé Ils avaient capitulé devant leur supériorité. They had capitulated to their superiority.
elles elles avaient capitulé Elles avaient capitulé devant leur force. They had capitulated to their strength.

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
   

    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     (this article)

    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

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

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) 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!
   

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

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