Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) 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.” The infinitive form is pronounced “kah-pee-tah-lee-zay.”

The word capitaliser comes from the Latin word “capitale” meaning “head” or “principal sum.” In French, it can be used to mean “to take advantage of” or “to make the most of something.” In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, it is used to express a hypothetical or unrealized action in the past.

Here are three examples of capitaliser in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’aurais capitalisé sur cette opportunité si j’avais eu plus d’argent. (I would have capitalized on this opportunity if I had more money.)
  2. Elle aurait capitalisé sur ses talents si elle avait été plus confiante. (She would have capitalized on her talents if she had been more confident.)
  3. Nous aurions capitalisé sur cette expérience si nous avions su comment la mettre en valeur. (We would have capitalized on this experience if we had known how to make the most of it.)

English translations:

  1. I would have capitalized on this opportunity if I had more money.
  2. She would have capitalized on her talents if she had been more confident.
  3. We would have capitalized on this experience if we had known how to make the most of it.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse capitalisé J’aurais aimé que je eusse capitalisé. I wish I had capitalized.
tu eusses capitalisé J’aurais aimé que tu eusses capitalisé. I wish you had capitalized.
il eût capitalisé J’aurais aimé qu’il eût capitalisé. I wish he had capitalized.
elle eût capitalisé J’aurais aimé qu’elle eût capitalisé. I wish she had capitalized.
on eût capitalisé J’aurais aimé qu’on eût capitalisé. I wish one had capitalized.
nous eussions capitalisé J’aurais aimé que nous eussions capitalisé. I wish we had capitalized.
vous eussiez capitalisé J’aurais aimé que vous eussiez capitalisé. I wish you had capitalized.
ils eussent capitalisé J’aurais aimé qu’ils eussent capitalisé. I wish they had capitalized.
elles eussent capitalisé J’aurais aimé qu’elles eussent capitalisé. I wish they had capitalized.

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

    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
    (this article)

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Capitaliser – About the French Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense

The French Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait, also known as the Pluperfect Subjunctive, is a verb tense used to express actions or states that occurred before another action in the past, and it’s used in situations where the indicative mood is in the past subjunctive or conditional mood.
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 Plus-que-parfait, you start with the imperfect subjunctive form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être,” followed by the past participle of the main verb. 
For “avoir” verbs: Take the imperfect subjunctive form of “avoir” (e.g., j’eusse, tu eusses, il/elle eût, nous eussions, vous eussiez, ils/elles eussent). Add the past participle of the main verb. 
For “être” verbs: Take the imperfect subjunctive form of “être” (e.g., je fusse, tu fusses, il/elle fût, nous fussions, vous fussiez, ils/elles fussent). Add the past participle of the main verb.

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

Hypothetical Situations

The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait is often used to express hypothetical or unreal actions that occurred before another past action.
For example: J’aurais aimé que tu aies fini ton travail avant que je sois arrivé. (I would have liked for you to have finished your work before I arrived.) 

Reported Speech

In reported speech, you may use the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait to convey what someone said or thought in the past. 
For example: Il m’a dit qu’il avait peur que je n’aie pas compris. (He told me that he was afraid that I hadn’t understood.) 

Doubt, Wishes, and Emotions

This tense can also be used to express doubt, wishes, and emotions about past actions. 
For example: Je doutais qu’il eût dit la vérité. (I doubted that he had told the truth.) 
J’aurais souhaité que tu fusses venu. (I would have wished for you to have come.)

Interactions with Other Tenses

Present Subjunctive

The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait can be used to describe past actions when the main verb is in the present subjunctive. 
For example: “Il faut que j’aie fini mon travail avant que tu partes.” (I must have finished my work before you leave.) 

Imperfect Subjunctive

It’s common to use the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait with the imperfect subjunctive in complex sentences. 
For example: “Il m’avait dit qu’il fût rentré avant la fin de la journée.” (He had told me that he had returned before the end of the day.) 

Conditional

When the main verb is in the conditional mood, the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait can be used to express past unreal conditions. 
For example: “Si j’avais su, j’aurais voulu que tu aies réussi.” (If I had known, I would have wanted you to have succeeded.)

Summary

The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait is a complex tense used to convey nuanced meanings in French. While its usage may seem intricate, it becomes more intuitive with practice and exposure to the language. It’s important to understand the context in which it’s used, as it often conveys subtleties of time, conditionality, and emotion in French sentences.

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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