capituler

to capitulate

verb kah-pee-tü-LEH Rare

Origin: Medieval Latin capitulare (to draw up in chapters, to negotiate terms)

Also means

to give in

Usage Note

Capituler describes surrendering — in a military sense (capituler devant l'ennemi) or in an everyday argument (finir par capituler). It is stronger and more definitive than céder (to give way). The noun capitulation is used in both historical and everyday contexts.

Examples

"L'armée a été forcée de capituler."

Natural Translation

The army was forced to capitulate.

Related Words

Explore French by topic

FrenchNow

Passé Composé vs Imparfait: When to Use Each

Passé composé tells the story; imparfait paints the scene. Use this 2-second flowchart, trigger words, and paired examples to pick the right French tense.

June 3, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

French Liaison Rules: When to Link Words (and Not To)

French liaison links a silent final consonant to the next vowel. Learn the obligatory, forbidden, and optional rules, plus the s→z and d→t sound shifts.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

Avoir or Être? Picking the Right Past-Tense Helper

Use avoir for the passé composé unless the verb is reflexive or one of ~16 DR MRS VANDERTRAMP motion verbs, which take être and force agreement.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

French Noun Gender: Rules to Guess Right 80%

Guess French noun gender right 80% of the time using word endings: -age, -ment, -eau are masculine; -tion, -té, -ette are feminine. A high-yield system.

June 3, 2026 5 min read