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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb briquer

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The English translation of the French verb “briquer” is “to scrub/to polish.” The infinitive form “briquer” is pronounced as “bree-kay.”

The word “briquer” has its origins in the French language. It comes from the noun “brique” meaning “brick,” which was originally used in the sense of “scrubbing a floor with a brick or brick powder.” Over time, its meaning expanded to include the general sense of cleaning or polishing.

In everyday French, the passé simple tense is rarely used in spoken language. It is mainly employed in formal writing, literature, and historical contexts. However, here are three simple examples of “briquer” in the passé simple tense:

  1. J’entrai dans la pièce et je briquai le sol avec ardeur.
    (I entered the room and scrubbed the floor vigorously.)

  2. Elle prit son chiffon et briqua les chaussures du général.
    (She took her cloth and polished the general’s shoes.)

  3. Ils briquèrent toutes les surfaces métalliques de la voiture.
    (They polished all the metal surfaces of the car.)

Please note that in everyday spoken French, the passé composé tense (equivalent to the English past tense) is typically used instead of the passé simple.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je briquai J’ai briqué la table. I polished the table.
Tu briqueas Tu briqueas les chaussures. You polished the shoes.
Il briqua Il briqua sa voiture. He polished his car.
Elle briqua Elle briqua la cuisine. She polished the kitchen.
On briqua On briqua le parquet. One polished the floor.
Nous briquâmes Nous briquâmes les verres. We polished the glasses.
Vous briquâtes Vous briquâtes le piano. You polished the piano.
Ils briquèrent Ils briquèrent la porte. They polished the door.
Elles briquèrent Elles briquèrent les meubles. They (feminine) polished the furniture.

Other Conjugations for Briquer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb briquer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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