Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb briller

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb briller

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The English translation of the French verb “briller” is “to shine” or “to sparkle.” The infinitive form of “briller” is pronounced as “bree-yay.”

The word “briller” comes from the Old French term “brillier,” which ultimately derives from the Latin word “brixiare” meaning “to sparkle.” In everyday French, “briller” is commonly used to describe the action of shining or sparkling, both literally and metaphorically.

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

  1. Les étoiles brillaient dans le ciel. (The stars were shining in the sky.)
  2. Son sourire brillait de bonheur. (Her smile was sparkling with happiness.)
  3. Les bijoux de la reine brillaient de mille feux. (The queen’s jewels were shining brightly.)

In these examples, “briller” is used to describe the ongoing action of shining in the past, highlighting the continuous aspect of the verb in the imparfait tense.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of briller

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je brillais Je brillais avec mes talents. I was shining with my talents.
tu brillais Tu brillais sur scène. You were shining on stage.
il brillait Il brillait dans l’obscurité. He was shining in the darkness.
elle brillait Elle brillait de bonheur. She was shining with happiness.
on brillait On brillait par notre présence. We were shining through our presence.
nous brillions Nous brillions de mille feux. We were shining brightly.
vous brilliez Vous brilliez de confiance. You were shining with confidence.
ils brillaient Ils brillaient dans la nuit. They were shining in the night.
elles brillaient Elles brillaient de beauté. They were shining with beauty.

Other Conjugations for Briller.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Briller – 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 briller. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!

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