Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive 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-tee-pew-lay.”

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

In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, capituler is used to express an action that was completed in the past, before another past action. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb avoir or être in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, followed by the past participle of capituler (capitulé).

Examples:

  1. Je craignais qu’il n’eût capitulé devant l’ennemi. (I feared that he had surrendered to the enemy.)
  2. Elle était contente qu’ils eussent capitulé si vite. (She was happy that they had given in so quickly.)
  3. Ils étaient fiers d’avoir capitulé sans aucune condition. (They were proud to have surrendered without any conditions.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse capitulé Je suis fier que je eusse capitulé. I’m proud that I had surrendered.
tu eusses capitulé Je suis fier que tu eusses capitulé. I’m proud that you had surrendered.
il eût capitulé Je suis fier qu’il eût capitulé. I’m proud that he had surrendered.
elle eût capitulé Je suis fière qu’elle eût capitulé. I’m proud that she had surrendered.
on eût capitulé Je suis fier qu’on eût capitulé. I’m proud that one had surrendered.
nous eussions capitulé Je suis fier que nous eussions capitulé. I’m proud that we had surrendered.
vous eussiez capitulé Je suis fier que vous eussiez capitulé. I’m proud that you had surrendered.
ils eussent capitulé Je suis fier qu’ils eussent capitulé. I’m proud that they had surrendered.
elles eussent capitulé Je suis fière qu’elles eussent capitulé. I’m proud that they had surrendered.

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
   

    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
    (this article)

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

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