Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brûler
Introduction to the verb brûler
The English translation of the French verb “brûler” is “to burn.” The infinitive form of “brûler” is pronounced as “brew-lay.”
The verb “brûler” originates from the Latin word “urere,” meaning “to burn.” In everyday French, it is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. The imparfait tense also expresses habits, background information, and descriptions in the past.
Here are three examples of “brûler” in the imparfait tense with their English translations:
- Je brûlais les lettres d’amour que je recevais. (I used to burn the love letters I received.)
- Pendant l’été, nous brûlions du bois dans la cheminée. (During the summer, we would burn wood in the fireplace.)
- Les enfants brûlaient d’impatience avant l’ouverture des cadeaux. (The children were burning with impatience before the opening of the gifts.)
Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of brûler
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | brûlais | Je brûlais les branches. | I was burning the branches. |
tu | brûlais | Tu brûlais les feuilles. | You were burning the leaves. |
il | brûlait | Il brûlait le papier. | He was burning the paper. |
elle | brûlait | Elle brûlait la bougie. | She was burning the candle. |
on | brûlait | On brûlait les vieux journaux. | We were burning the old newspapers. |
nous | brûlions | Nous brûlions du bois. | We were burning wood. |
vous | brûliez | Vous brûliez les déchets. | You were burning the waste. |
ils | brûlaient | Ils brûlaient les herbes. | They were burning the grass. |
elles | brûlaient | Elles brûlaient les branches. | They were burning the branches. |
Other Conjugations for Brûler.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb brûler
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brûler (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brûler
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brûler
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brûler
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brûler
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brûler
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brûler
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brûler
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brûler
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brûler
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brûler
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brûler
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brûler
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brûler
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brûler
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brûler
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brûler
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brûler
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brûler
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brûler
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brûler
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Brûler – About the French Imparfait Tense
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
For regular -er verbs:
For regular -ir verbs
For regular -re verbs
Common Everyday Usage Patterns
Description of Past Habits
Background Information
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
Points to Note About the Imparfait Tense
Passé Composé vs. Imparfait
Conditional
Si Clauses
Narration
I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb brûler. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!