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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bretter

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The English translation of the French verb “bretter” is “to board” or “to plank.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “bret-ay.”

The word “bretter” originated from the German word “brettern,” which means “to board” or “to plank.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense in written or formal contexts rather than in spoken or informal conversations.

Here are three simple examples of the usage of “bretter” in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Je brettai la fenêtre. (I boarded up the window.)
  2. Il bretta les planches pour la construction. (He planked the boards for the construction.)
  3. Nous brettâmes le sol du pont. (We boarded the floor of the bridge.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken French, and the preferred tense in spoken French for these examples would be the Passé Composé (Compound Past) tense.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je brettai J’ai brettai le bois. I boarded the wood.
Tu brettas Tu brettas la maison. You boarded the house.
Il bretta Il bretta la porte. He boarded the door.
Elle bretta Elle bretta la fenêtre. She boarded the window.
On bretta On bretta le toit. One boarded the roof.
Nous bretâmes Nous brettâmes le sol. We boarded the floor.
Vous bretâtes Vous bretâtes la clôture. You boarded the fence.
Ils brettèrent Ils brettèrent la façade. They boarded the facade.
Elles brettèrent Elles brettèrent la terrasse. They (feminine) boarded the terrace.

Other Conjugations for Bretter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bretter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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