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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb brêler

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of brêler. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “brêler” is “to burn” or “to scorch”. The infinitive form “brêler” is pronounced as “bray-lay”.

The verb “brêler” comes from the Old French word “braire” which means “to burn”. It is derived from the Latin word “bullire” meaning “to boil”. In everyday French, “brêler” is most often used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense to describe past actions or events that are completed and not ongoing. This tense is commonly used in written French and in formal speech.

Here are three examples of the usage of “brêler” in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. Il brûla la lettre et jeta les cendres. (He burned the letter and threw the ashes.)
  2. Le feu brûla la forêt entière. (The fire burned the entire forest.)
  3. Le cuisinier brûla les crêpes. (The cook burned the pancakes.)

Note: In everyday spoken French, the Passé Composé tense is usually used instead of the Passé Simple to talk about past events.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je brêlai Je brêlai le bois. I charred the wood.
Tu brêlas Tu brêlas la viande. You charred the meat.
Il brêla Il brêla la corde. He charred the rope.
Elle brêla Elle brêla le papier. She charred the paper.
On brêla On brêla les branches. One charred the branches.
Nous brêlâmes Nous brêlâmes les feuilles. We charred the leaves.
Vous brêlâtes Vous brêlâtes les légumes. You charred the vegetables.
Ils brêlèrent Ils brêlèrent les herbes. They charred the herbs.
Elles brêlèrent Elles brêlèrent les fleurs. They (feminine) charred the flowers.

Other Conjugations for Brêler.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brêler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the brêler Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply