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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb capitaliser

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The English translation of the French verb capitaliser is “to capitalize.” In order to pronounce the infinitive form of the verb, you would say “ka-pee-ta-lee-zey.”

The word capitaliser comes from the Latin word “capitale,” meaning “principal sum of money.” It’s most often used in everyday French to refer to the action of investing or using capital to make a profit or grow a business.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, capitaliser is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Si j’avais eu plus d’argent, j’aurais pu capitaliser sur cette opportunité. (If I had had more money, I could have capitalized on this opportunity.)
  2. Il fallait que nous capitalisions sur notre avantage avant qu’il ne soit trop tard. (We had to capitalize on our advantage before it was too late.)
  3. Je voulais que tu capitalises sur tes compétences, mais tu as choisi d’abandonner. (I wanted you to capitalize on your skills, but you chose to give up.)

In all three examples, capitaliser is used to express a possibility or potential action in the past. It is often used in business or financial contexts, but can also be used in everyday conversation to talk about taking advantage of opportunities or resources.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je capitalisasse Je capitalisasse mes économies si je gagnais plus d’argent. I would save my money if I earned more.
tu capitalisasses Si tu avais plus d’expérience, tu capitalisasses mieux. If you had more experience, you would capitalize better.
il capitalisât Il gagnerait plus d’argent s’il capitalisât ses connaissances. He would earn more money if he capitalized on his knowledge.
elle capitalisât Elle réussirait mieux si elle capitalisât ses talents. She would succeed better if she capitalized on her talents.
on capitalisât Si on capitalisât sur nos forces, on serait plus efficaces. If one capitalized on our strengths, we would be more efficient.
nous capitalisassions Si nous capitalisassions ensemble, nous aurions plus de succès. If we capitalized together, we would have more success.
vous capitalisassiez Si vous capitalisassiez plus, vous auriez plus de profits. If you capitalized more, you would have more profits.
ils capitalisassent S’ils capitalisassent sur leurs investissements, ils seraient riches. If they capitalized on their investments, they would be rich.
elles capitalisassent Si elles capitalisassent sur leurs économies, elles seraient plus sûres financièrement. If they capitalized on their savings, they would be more financially secure.

Other Conjugations for Capitaliser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb capitaliser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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