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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb briser

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The English translation of the French verb “briser” is “to break.” The infinitive form of “briser” is pronounced as “bree-zay.”

The verb “briser” originated from the Latin word “brisare,” which means “to shatter” or “to break.” In everyday French, “briser” is commonly used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense to describe past actions that are completed and occurred at a specific point in time.

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

  1. J’entrai dans la pièce et je brisai le vase.
    (I entered the room and I broke the vase.)

  2. Elle brisa le silence en éclatant de rire.
    (She broke the silence by bursting into laughter.)

  3. Nous brisâmes le record de vitesse lors de la course.
    (We broke the speed record during the race.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je brisai Je brisai la vitre. I broke the window.
Tu brisas Tu brisas le vase. You broke the vase.
Il brisa Il brisa la porte. He broke the door.
Elle brisa Elle brisa la tasse. She broke the cup.
On brisa On brisa le miroir. One broke the mirror.
Nous brisâmes Nous brisâmes la règle. We broke the rule.
Vous brisâtes Vous brisâtes le couteau. You broke the knife.
Ils brisèrent Ils brisèrent la fenêtre. They broke the window.
Elles brisèrent Elles brisèrent le verre. They (feminine) broke the glass.

Other Conjugations for Briser.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb briser

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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