Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brésiller

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb brésiller

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The English translation of the French verb “brésiller” is “to crackle.” The infinitive form “brésiller” is pronounced as “breh-zee-yay.”

The verb “brésiller” is derived from the French noun “brèse,” which means “crackling sound.” It is most commonly used in everyday French in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. The imparfait tense is used to set the scene, describe background information, or talk about repeated or continuous actions in the past.

Here are three examples of “brésiller” in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Chaque soir, le feu dans la cheminée brésillait doucement. (Every evening, the fire in the fireplace would crackle softly.)
  2. Quand j’étais enfant, le vin chaud brésillait dans la casserole pendant les fêtes. (When I was a child, the mulled wine would crackle in the pot during the holidays.)
  3. Les feuilles mortes sous mes pas brésillaient dans la forêt. (The dead leaves would crackle under my feet in the forest.)

Please note that the translations are not literal but convey the sense and context of the imparfait tense.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of brésiller

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je brésillais Je brésillais tous les soirs. I used to play Brazil music every evening.
tu brésillais Tu brésillais très bien. You used to play Brazil music very well.
il brésillait Il brésillait pendant des heures. He used to play Brazil music for hours.
elle brésillait Elle brésillait en chantant. She used to play Brazil music while singing.
on brésillait On brésillait en groupe. We used to play Brazil music as a group.
nous brésillions Nous brésillions en soirée. We used to play Brazil music in the evening.
vous brésilliez Vous brésilliez pour nous divertir. You used to play Brazil music to entertain us.
ils brésillaient Ils brésillaient avec passion. They used to play Brazil music with passion.
elles brésillaient Elles brésillaient ensemble. They used to play Brazil music together.

Other Conjugations for Brésiller.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brésiller (You’re reading it right now!)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brésiller

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

L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brésiller

Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brésiller

Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brésiller

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Brésiller – About the French Imparfait Tense

The French imparfait tense, often called the imperfect tense in English, is used to describe actions or states in the past. It’s primarily used to provide background information, set the scene, or describe habitual or ongoing actions in the past.

NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see our article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation of the Imparfait Tense

To form the imparfait tense in French, you typically take the present tense nous form of the verb, drop the -ons ending, and add specific endings based on the verb group (regular -er, -ir, -re verbs) or use irregular forms for certain verbs.  

For regular -er verbs:

Take the infinitive form (e.g., parler, finir, rendre) Remove the -er ending Add the imparfait endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient 

For regular -ir verbs

Take the infinitive form (e.g., choisir, grandir, finir) Remove the -ir ending Add the imparfait endings: -issais, -issais, -issait, -issions, -issiez, -issaient 

For regular -re verbs

Take the infinitive form (e.g., vendre, attendre, entendre) Remove the -re ending Add the imparfait endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

Description of Past Habits

The imparfait is often used to describe habitual actions or situations in the past. For example: “Quand j’étais enfant, je jouais au football tous les jours.” (When I was a child, I used to play football every day.) 

Background Information

It’s used to provide background information or set the stage for a main event in the past. For instance: “Il faisait beau ce jour-là.” (The weather was nice that day.) 

Mental and Emotional States

It’s employed to express emotions, thoughts, or physical sensations in the past. For example: “J’étais content quand il est arrivé.” (I was happy when he arrived.) 

Ongoing Actions

The imparfait describes actions that were in progress or happening when something else occurred in the past. For instance: “Je lisais un livre quand le téléphone a sonné.” (I was reading a book when the phone rang.)

Points to Note About the Imparfait Tense

Passé Composé vs. Imparfait

The imparfait and passé composé (a compound past tense) are often used together to express the completion of an action in the past (passé composé) and provide context or background (imparfait). For example: “Il regardait la télévision quand son ami est arrivé.” (He was watching TV when his friend arrived.) 

Conditional

The imparfait is used as the base for forming the conditional mood in French. For instance, “Je mangerais” (I would eat) is formed from “je mangeais” (I was eating). 

Si Clauses

In hypothetical or “if” clauses (si clauses), the imparfait is often used to express a condition in the past. For example: “Si j’avais de l’argent, j’achèterais une nouvelle voiture.” (If I had money, I would buy a new car.) 

Narration

In storytelling or writing, the imparfait is frequently used to set the scene and describe ongoing actions while the passé composé is used for specific events or actions that interrupted the ongoing ones.
Understanding the French imperfect tense is crucial for effective communication in French. Without it, your conversations will always live in the present!

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb brésiller. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!

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