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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb brouillonner

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of brouillonner. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “brouillonner” is “to draft” or “to sketch.” The infinitive form “brouillonner” is pronounced as “broo-yo-nay.”

The word “brouillonner” originates from the noun “brouillon,” which means “draft” or “rough copy.” In everyday French, “brouillonner” is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense, although this tense is mostly reserved for formal or written contexts. The Passé Simple is used to describe completed actions in the past.

Here are three examples of “brouillonner” in the Passé Simple tense along with their English translations:

  1. J’écrivis rapidement et brouillonnai une première version de mon discours.
    Translation: I quickly wrote and drafted a first version of my speech.

  2. Le peintre brouillonna plusieurs esquisses avant de commencer son tableau.
    Translation: The painter sketched several drafts before starting his painting.

  3. Je brouillonnai les plans de la maison avant de les présenter à l’architecte.
    Translation: I drafted the house plans before presenting them to the architect.

In these examples, “brouillonner” is used to express the act of drafting or sketching something in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je brouillonnai J’ai brouillonné la lettre. I drafted the letter.
Tu brouillonnas Tu brouillonnas tes notes. You (informal) drafted your notes.
Il brouillonna Il brouillonna ses idées. He drafted his ideas.
Elle brouillonna Elle brouillonna le schéma. She drafted the diagram.
On brouillonna On brouillonna les plans. One drafted the plans.
Nous brouillonnâmes Nous brouillonnâmes le contrat. We drafted the contract.
Vous brouillonnâtes Vous brouillonnâtes les dessins. You (formal/plural) drafted the drawings.
Ils brouillonnèrent Ils brouillonnèrent le rapport. They drafted the report.
Elles brouillonnèrent Elles brouillonnèrent les statuts. They (feminine) drafted the statutes.

Other Conjugations for Brouillonner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brouillonner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the brouillonner Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply