Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brosser

Introduction to the verb brosser

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The English translation of the French verb “brosser” is “to brush.” The infinitive form of “brosser” is pronounced as [bʁɔse].

The word “brosser” comes from the Old French word “broce” which means “a brush.” It is derived from the Latin word “bruscia” meaning “brushwood.” In everyday French, “brosser” is commonly used to refer to the action of brushing, whether it’s brushing one’s hair, teeth, or any surface. It can also be used more figuratively to describe the act of skimming or quickly going over something.

Examples of “brosser” in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Chaque matin, je brossais mes cheveux avant de sortir.
    (Every morning, I would brush my hair before going out.)

  2. Nous brossions nos dents trois fois par jour.
    (We used to brush our teeth three times a day.)

  3. Quand j’étais enfant, je brossais le chien tous les jours.
    (When I was a child, I used to brush the dog every day.)

Please note that the imparfait tense in French is often used to describe habitual or ongoing actions in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of brosser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je brossais Je brossais mes cheveux. I was brushing my hair.
tu brossais Tu brossais le chien. You were brushing the dog.
il brossait Il brossait son vélo. He was brushing his bike.
elle brossait Elle brossait sa robe. She was brushing her dress.
on brossait On brossait les dents. We were brushing our teeth.
nous brossions Nous brossions les chevaux. We were brushing the horses.
vous brossiez Vous brossiez vos cheveux. You were brushing your hair.
ils brossaient Ils brossaient les chiens. They were brushing the dogs.
elles brossaient Elles brossaient les chats. They were brushing the cats.

Other Conjugations for Brosser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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