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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb brosser

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The English translation of the French verb “brosser” is “to brush”. The infinitive form is pronounced as [bʁɔse].

The word “brosser” comes from the Old French word “broce” which means “a brush”. It originated from the Latin word “bruscus” which referred to a type of shrub with stiff branches, often used to make brooms. In everyday French, “brosser” is commonly used to mean “to brush” in the context of grooming or cleaning. It can refer to brushing hair, teeth, or even objects.

In the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past), “brosser” is less frequently used in everyday conversation and is considered a more formal tense. However, it can still be encountered in written literature or historical contexts. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. Je brossai mes cheveux avant de sortir. (I brushed my hair before going out.)
  2. Elle brossa les dents de son enfant chaque soir. (She brushed her child’s teeth every evening.)
  3. Il brossa soigneusement le tableau avant de le vendre. (He carefully brushed the painting before selling it.)

English translations:

  1. I brushed my hair before going out.
  2. She brushed her child’s teeth every evening.
  3. He carefully brushed the painting before selling it.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je brossai J’ai brossé les cheveux. I brushed the hair.
Tu brossas Tu as brossé le chien. You brushed the dog.
Il brossa Il a brossé sa veste. He brushed his jacket.
Elle brossa Elle a brossé le cheval. She brushed the horse.
On brossa On a brossé les dents. One brushed the teeth.
Nous brossâmes Nous avons brossé la table. We brushed the table.
Vous brossâtes Vous avez brossé les chaussures. You brushed the shoes.
Ils brossèrent Ils ont brossé les planches. They brushed the planks.
Elles brossèrent Elles ont brossé les brosses. They (feminine) brushed the brushes.

Other Conjugations for Brosser.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brosser

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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