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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb branler

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The English translation of the French verb “branler” is “to shake” or “to wobble”. The infinitive form of “branler” is pronounced as “brahn-leh”.

The verb “branler” comes from the Old French word “branle”, which means “to swing” or “to rock”. It is derived from the Latin word “brangulus”, which also means “to swing”. In everyday French, “branler” is commonly used in its infinitive form or conjugated in the present tense to describe physical movements or shaking.

In the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, “branler” is not frequently used in everyday French as it has been mostly replaced by other verb forms. However, here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. Je branlai la table et toutes les assiettes tombèrent.
    (I shook the table, and all the plates fell.)
  2. Il branla la clôture pour s’assurer qu’elle était solide.
    (He wobbled the fence to make sure it was sturdy.)
  3. Elle branla doucement le bébé pour le calmer.
    (She gently rocked the baby to soothe him.)

Please note that the passé simple tense is primarily used in written French, particularly in literature, historical texts, or formal writing. In spoken French, other verb forms like the passé composé or the imparfait are more commonly used to express past actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je branlai Je branlai la tête. I shook my head.
Tu branlas Tu branlas le biberon. You shook the bottle.
Il branla Il branla la branche. He shook the branch.
Elle branla Elle branla la boîte. She shook the box.
On branla On branla la table. One shook the table.
Nous branlâmes Nous branlâmes les mains. We shook hands.
Vous branlâtes Vous branlâtes la bouteille. You shook the bottle.
Ils branlèrent Ils branlèrent la clé. They shook the key.
Elles branlèrent Elles branlèrent la poupée. They (feminine) shook the doll.

Other Conjugations for Branler.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb branler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Branler – 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 branler. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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