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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb capoter

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The English translation of the French verb capoter is “to flip out” or “to lose one’s mind.” It is pronounced “kah-poh-teh” in the infinitive form.

The word capoter comes from the French noun “capon,” which means “cap” or “hood.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Three examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Je ne pense pas qu’il capotât s’il apprenait la vérité. (I don’t think he would have flipped out if he learned the truth.)

  2. Je souhaiterais qu’il ne capotât pas devant l’examinateur. (I wish he wouldn’t lose his mind in front of the examiner.)

  3. Il était probable qu’elle capotât en apprenant la nouvelle. (It was likely that she would have flipped out upon hearing the news.)

English translations:

  1. I don’t think he would have flipped out if he learned the truth.

  2. I wish he wouldn’t lose his mind in front of the examiner.

  3. It was likely that she would have flipped out upon hearing the news.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je capotasse Si j’avais plus d’argent, je capotasse plus souvent. If I had more money, I would capote more often.
tu capotasses Si tu capotasses moins, tu économiserais plus. If you capped less, you would save more.
il capotât Il serait content si il capotât moins. He would be happy if he capped less.
elle capotât Elle serait surprise si elle capotât à chaque partie. She would be surprised if she caps at every game.
on capotât Si on capotât ensemble, ça serait plus amusant. If one caps together, it would be more fun.
nous capotassions Si nous capotassions plus souvent, nous serions meilleurs. If we capped more often, we would be better.
vous capotassiez Si vous capotassiez ensemble, vous vous amuseriez. If you capped together, you would have fun.
ils capotassent S’ils capotassent plus souvent, ils auraient plus de chances de gagner. If they capped more often, they would have more chances of winning.
elles capotassent Si elles capotassent plus lentement, elles ne feraient pas autant d’erreurs. If they capped more slowly, they wouldn’t make as many mistakes.

Other Conjugations for Capoter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb capoter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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