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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb brancher

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The English translation of the French verb “brancher” is “to plug in” or “to connect.” The infinitive form “brancher” is pronounced as “brahn-shay.”

The word “brancher” originates from the noun “branche” meaning “branch” in French. It figuratively uses the concept of connecting or plugging something into a branch, which then evolved to mean connecting or plugging in general.

In everyday French, the passé simple tense (Simple Past) is no longer widely used in spoken language but is still found in written literature or formal contexts. However, it is important to note that for the verb “brancher,” the passé simple tense is rarely used in any context.

Here are three examples of how “brancher” could be used in the passé simple tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. Je branchai mon ordinateur et j’ai commencé à travailler.
    (I plugged in my computer and started working.)

  2. Elle brancha la télévision et regarda son émission préférée.
    (She plugged in the television and watched her favorite show.)

  3. Ils branchèrent les haut-parleurs lors de la fête.
    (They plugged in the speakers during the party.)

Please note that while the passé simple is grammatically correct, it is not the commonly used tense in modern French.

Table of the Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of brancher

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je branchai J’ai branché l’ordinateur. I plugged in the computer.
Tu branchas Tu branchas la télévision. You plugged in the television.
Il brancha Il brancha le téléphone. He plugged in the phone.
Elle brancha Elle brancha la lampe. She plugged in the lamp.
On brancha On brancha la radio. One plugged in the radio.
Nous branchâmes Nous branchâmes le lecteur DVD. We plugged in the DVD player.
Vous branchâtes Vous branchâtes le câble. You plugged in the cable.
Ils branchèrent Ils branchèrent la console de jeu. They plugged in the game console.
Elles branchèrent Elles branchèrent l’imprimante. They (feminine) plugged in the printer.

Other Conjugations for Brancher.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brancher

Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brancher (You’re reading it right now!)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Brancher – About the French Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense

The French Passé Simple, also known as the Simple Past or Preterite, is a past tense used in written French to describe completed actions that took place at a specific point in the past.
It is not commonly used in everyday spoken language, where the Passé Composé is the preferred past tense. The Passé Simple is mainly found in literature, formal writing, and historical contexts. It has a somewhat limited use in modern French, and its conjugation can be complex.  
NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see our article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation

The Passé Simple is formed by conjugating the verb according to its specific endings for regular and irregular verbs. The endings typically vary based on the verb group (i.e., -er, -ir, or -re). For example:
   – For regular -er verbs (e.g., manger, parler): Remove the -er ending and add appropriate endings, like -ai, -as, -a, -âmes, -âtes, -èrent.
   – For regular -ir verbs (e.g., finir, choisir): Remove the -ir ending and add endings like -is, -is, -it, -îmes, -îtes, -irent.
   – For regular -re verbs (e.g., vendre, attendre): Remove the -re ending and add endings like -is, -is, -it, -îmes, -îtes, -irent.

Usage

Narration

The Passé Simple is commonly used in literature to describe past events in a narrative or storytelling context.

Historical Context

It can be used in historical writing or documents to discuss events that took place in the past.
Formal Writing
In formal or academic writing, especially in essays or reports, you might encounter the Passé Simple.

Interactions with other tenses

Passé Composé

In everyday spoken French, the Passé Composé is the go-to tense for describing completed actions in the past. The Passé Simple is not commonly used in spoken language and is often replaced by the Passé Composé.

Imparfait

While the Passé Simple focuses on completed actions in the past, the Imparfait is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. They can sometimes be used together to provide a more detailed past narrative. For example, “Il lisait un livre quand il reçut un appel.” (He was reading a book when he received a call).

Conditional and Subjunctive

The Passé Simple can also be found in the conditional and subjunctive moods in formal writing. For instance, “Il faudrait qu’il partît” (He should leave, subjunctive).

Summary

The French Passé Simple is primarily used in formal or literary contexts, and its conjugation can be quite complex. In everyday spoken French, the Passé Composé is the preferred past tense for describing completed actions.

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

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