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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb capeler

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The English translation of the French verb capeler is “to call out” or “to name.” It is pronounced as /ka.pə.le/.

The language origin of capeler can be traced back to the Latin verb “capitulare,” meaning “to give a name to.” In everyday French, it is most commonly used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. Il fallait que je l’appelasse par son vrai nom. (It was necessary for me to call him by his real name.)

  2. Nous voulions qu’elle nous appelât par nos surnoms. (We wanted her to call us by our nicknames.)

  3. Si tu m’avais appelé plus tôt, je serais venu te chercher. (If you had called me earlier, I would have come to pick you up.)

English translations:

  1. It was necessary for me to call him by his real name.

  2. We wanted her to call us by our nicknames.

  3. If you had called me earlier, I would have come to pick you up.

Table of the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of capeler

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je capelasse Si j’étais toi, je capelasse mon nom. If I were you, I would spell my name.
tu capelasses Si tu capelasses le mot, tu le saurais. If you spelled the word, you would know it.
il capelât Il ne serait pas content si il capelât le mot. He wouldn’t be happy if he spelled the word.
elle capelât Elle serait contente si elle capelât son nom. She would be happy if she spelled her name.
on capelât Si on capelât correctement, on serait plus précis. If one spelled correctly, one would be more accurate.
nous capelassions Si nous capelassions tous les noms, nous saurions tout. If we spelled all the names, we would know everything.
vous capelassiez Si vous capelassiez tous les mots, vous auriez une bonne note. If you spelled all the words, you would have a good grade.
ils capelassent Si ils capelassent les mots ensemble, ils se comprendraient mieux. If they spelled the words together, they would understand each other better.
elles capelassent Si elles capelassent les noms, elles ne seraient pas confuses. If they spelled the names, they wouldn’t be confused.

Other Conjugations for Capeler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb capeler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb capeler (this article)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Capeler – About the French Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense

The French Subjonctif Imparfait, also known as the imperfect subjunctive, is a verb tense used to express actions, states, or conditions that are uncertain, subjective, or hypothetical in the past. It is used in a variety of situations, including wishes, doubts, emotions, and polite requests, and often occurs in dependent clauses following certain expressions and conjunctions.

NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation

To form the Subjonctif Imparfait, you typically start with the third person plural (ils/elles) form of the verb in the imparfait (imperfect) tense. Then, you remove the -ent ending and add the appropriate endings:

– For regular -er verbs: je -sse, tu -sses, il/elle/on -t, nous -ssions, vous -ssiez, ils/elles -ssent.
– For regular -ir and -re verbs: je -sse, tu -sses, il/elle/on -t, nous -ssions, vous -ssiez, ils/elles -ssent.

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

1. Expressing Doubt or Uncertainty: The Subjonctif Imparfait is used to express doubt or uncertainty about something that happened in the past.

Example: Il doutait qu’elle vînt à la fête. (He doubted that she came to the party.)

2. Wishes and Desires: It is used to express wishes or desires in the past.

Example: J’aurais aimé que tu fusses là. (I would have liked you to be there.)

3. Hypothetical Scenarios: The Subjonctif Imparfait is employed in hypothetical situations in the past.

Example: Si j’eusse su, j’aurais agi différemment. (If I had known, I would have acted differently.)
4. Polite Requests and Suggestions: It is used to make polite requests and suggestions in a formal or polite tone.

Example: Il souhaitait que vous vinssiez lui rendre visite. (He wished that you would come to visit him.)

Interactions with Other Tenses

Subjonctif Présent

The Subjonctif Imparfait is often used in dependent clauses with the Subjonctif Présent in the main clause, especially in complex sentences.

Example: Il faut que tu manges bien pour que tu aies de l’énergie. (You need to eat well so that you have energy.)

Indicatif Passé Composé

The Subjonctif Imparfait can be used alongside the Indicatif Passé Composé to indicate a contrast between a factual event and a hypothetical one.

Example: Il est parti avant que tu ne fusses arrivé. (He left before you arrived.)

Conditional

The Subjonctif Imparfait is often used with the Conditional to express unreal or hypothetical situations in the past.

Example: J’aurais pu le faire si j’eusse eu plus de temps. (I could have done it if I had had more time.)

Conditional Perfect

It can also be used with the Conditional Perfect to express unreal or hypothetical past events that would have occurred before other past events.

Example: J’aurais su s’il eût partagé l’information. (I would have known if he had shared the information.)

Summary

The Subjonctif Imparfait is a relatively complex tense, and its usage depends on the context and the verbs involved. It is essential to practice and become familiar with common expressions and contexts where this tense is appropriate to use it effectively in everyday French communication.

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

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