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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bricoler

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The English translation of the French verb “bricoler” is “to tinker” or “to do odd jobs.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “bricoler” is: bree-koh-leh.

The word “bricoler” comes from the noun “bricole,” which initially referred to an old military weapon consisting of a large slingshot used to hurl stones or other projectiles. Over time, the term “bricole” evolved to mean a small object or device made up of various materials without specific rules or techniques.

In everyday French, the verb “bricoler” is commonly used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense to refer to actions that were done in the past, with a focus on the completion of those actions. However, it is important to note that the Passé Simple is rarely used in spoken French and is mostly found in written literature or formal contexts.

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

  1. J’essayai de bricoler ma vieille voiture ce week-end. (I tried to tinker with my old car this weekend.)
  2. Elle bricola une étagère en utilisant des planches récupérées. (She tinkered with an old shelf using some reclaimed boards.)
  3. Nous bricolâmes une lampe à partir de vieux câbles électriques. (We tinkered with an old lamp using some old electrical cables.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is not frequently used in everyday conversation, and the more commonly used past tense in spoken French is the Passé Composé.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je bricolai J’ai bricolai toute la journée. I did odd jobs all day.
Tu bricolas Tu bricolas une étagère. You did some DIY and built a shelf.
Il bricola Il bricola dans son atelier. He did some DIY in his workshop.
Elle bricola Elle bricola avec les outils. She did some DIY with the tools.
On bricola On bricola dans la maison. One did some DIY in the house.
Nous bricolâmes Nous bricolâmes ensemble. We did some DIY together.
Vous bricolâtes Vous bricolâtes pendant des heures. You did DIY for hours.
Ils bricolèrent Ils bricolèrent le meuble. They did some DIY on the furniture.
Elles bricolèrent Elles bricolèrent la décoration. They (feminine) did some DIY on the decoration.

Other Conjugations for Bricoler.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bricoler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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