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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb briller

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The English translation of the French verb “briller” is “to shine” or “to sparkle.” The infinitive form of “briller” is pronounced as /bʀi.je/.

The word “briller” in French originates from the Latin word “bregilare,” meaning “to shine.” In everyday French, the verb “briller” is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense, which is a literary past tense used mainly in written French.

Here are three simple examples of “briller” in the Passé Simple tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Le soleil brilla toute la journée. (The sun shone all day.)
  2. Les étoiles brillèrent dans le ciel nocturne. (The stars sparkled in the night sky.)
  3. Sa bague en diamant brilla de mille feux. (Her diamond ring shone brightly.)

Please note that while the Passé Simple tense is still used in literature and formal writing, in everyday spoken French, the Passé Composé or other compound tenses are more commonly used to express the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je brillai Je brillai de bonheur. I shone with happiness.
Tu brillas Tu brillas toute la nuit. You shone all night.
Il brilla Il brilla sur scène. He shone on stage.
Elle brilla Elle brilla dans le concours. She shone in the competition.
On brilla On brilla lors de la cérémonie. One shone during the ceremony.
Nous brillâmes Nous brillâmes de mille feux. We shone brightly.
Vous brillâtes Vous brillâtes par votre talent. You shone with your talent.
Ils brillèrent Ils brillèrent dans le ciel. They shone in the sky.
Elles brillèrent Elles brillèrent de mille éclats. They (feminine) shone brightly.

Other Conjugations for Briller.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb briller

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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