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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb brocher

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The English translation of the French verb “brocher” is “to bind” or “to stitch.” The infinitive form, “brocher,” is pronounced as “bro-shay.”

The verb “brocher” originates from the Old French word “brochier,” which means “to attach with a pin or brooch.” It evolved from the Latin word “brocchus,” which referred to a metal point or spike. In everyday French, “brocher” is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense, which is the literary past tense, often found in written texts.

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

  1. Je brochai les pages du livre.
    Translation: I bound the pages of the book.

  2. Tu brochas les documents ensemble.
    Translation: You stitched the documents together.

  3. Il brocha le manuscrit avec soin.
    Translation: He carefully bound the manuscript.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je brochai J’ai broché le livre. I stitched the book.
Tu brochas Tu as broché la chemise. You stitched the shirt.
Il brocha Il a broché le document. He stitched the document.
Elle brocha Elle a broché le tissu. She stitched the fabric.
On brocha On a broché les feuilles. One stitched the sheets.
Nous brochâmes Nous avons broché les pages. We stitched the pages.
Vous brochâtes Vous avez broché les photos. You stitched the photos.
Ils brochèrent Ils ont broché les livres. They stitched the books.
Elles brochèrent Elles ont broché les sacs. They (feminine) stitched the bags.

Other Conjugations for Brocher.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brocher

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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