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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb broyer

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The English translation of the French verb “broyer” is “to crush” or “to grind.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “broyer” is /bʁwaje/.

The verb “broyer” comes from the Latin word “brodium” meaning “to grind.” In everyday French, the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past) is rarely used, especially in spoken language. Instead, the Passé Composé (Present Perfect) is usually preferred to express past actions. However, in written language or in certain formal contexts, the Passé Simple can still be used.

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

  1. Il broya les épices dans le mortier. (He crushed the spices in the mortar.)
  2. Elle broya ses doutes et prit une décision. (She pondered over her doubts and made a decision.)
  3. Les travailleurs broyèrent les roches pour construire la route. (The workers ground the rocks to build the road.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in modern French, and the examples provided are for illustrative purposes.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je broyai Je broyai les épices. I ground the spices.
Tu broyas Tu broyas le papier. You ground the paper.
Il broya Il broya les noix. He ground the nuts.
Elle broya Elle broya la viande. She ground the meat.
On broya On broya les grains. One ground the grains.
Nous broyâmes Nous broyâmes les herbes. We ground the herbs.
Vous broyâtes Vous broyâtes les légumes. You ground the vegetables.
Ils broyèrent Ils broyèrent les graines. They ground the seeds.
Elles broyèrent Elles broyèrent les épices. They (feminine) ground the spices.

Other Conjugations for Broyer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb broyer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Broyer – 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.

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