Briller Examples, Sentences & Quiz in French

briller — to shine — is one of the verbs you will use every day in French. It is a non-reflexive, regular -er verb, and it comes up in conversation, at work and at home. On this page you will find briller in real sentences, grouped by meaning and tense, two short texts that show it in context, the mistakes learners actually make with it, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then test yourself. The full conjugation tables are on the briller conjugation page, and the deep dive into its most practised tense is on the briller present tense page.

Example sentences with briller

In the present tense

  • “Je brille dans le ciel tous les jours.” — “I shine in the sky every day.”
  • “Tu brilles dans le ciel à la maison.” — “You shine in the sky at home.”
  • “Il brille dans le ciel ce matin.” — “He shines in the sky this morning.”
  • “Nous brillons dans le ciel avec Paul.” — “We shine in the sky with Paul.”
  • “Vous brillez dans le ciel.” — “You shine in the sky.”
  • “Ils brillent dans le ciel tous les jours.” — “They shine in the sky every day.”

In the passé composé

  • “J'ai brillé dans le ciel hier.” — “I have shone in the sky yesterday.”
  • “Tu as brillé dans le ciel la semaine dernière.” — “You have shone in the sky last week.”
  • “Il a brillé dans le ciel ce matin.” — “He has shone in the sky this morning.”
  • “Nous avons brillé dans le ciel avant la fête.” — “We have shone in the sky before the party.”
  • “Vous avez brillé dans le ciel.” — “You have shone in the sky.”
  • “Ils ont brillé dans le ciel hier.” — “They have shone in the sky yesterday.”

In other tenses

The same verb in the imperfect, the future, the conditional, the present subjunctive and the imperative — the tenses that complete the picture. All forms come from the verified tables.

  • “Je brillais dans le ciel à la maison.” — “I used to shine in the sky at home.”
  • “Tu brilleras dans le ciel bientôt.” — “You will shine in the sky soon.”
  • “Il brillerait dans le ciel avec Paul.” — “He would shine in the sky with Paul.”
  • “Il est important que nous brillions dans le ciel tous les jours.” — “It is important that We shine in the sky every day.”
  • “Brille dans le ciel !” — “Shine in the sky!”

Briller in context

Je brille dans le ciel tous les jours. Tu brilles dans le ciel à la maison. Il brille dans le ciel ce matin. Nous brillons dans le ciel avec Paul. C’est une partie normale de la routine, et c’est pour cela que le présent de briller est la première forme qu’il convient d’apprendre. Chaque phrase utilise une personne différente, alors lisez-les à voix haute et remarquez comment la forme change — brille, brilles, brille, brillons — tandis que le sens reste le même : to shine. J'ai brillé dans le ciel hier. Tu as brillé dans le ciel la semaine dernière. Il a brillé dans le ciel ce matin. Nous avons brillé dans le ciel avant la fête. C’était une journée normale, mais c’est justement dans des journées comme celle-ci que le passé composé de briller apparaît sans cesse : une action terminée, un moment précis, et l’histoire continue. Comparez ces phrases avec celles du présent ci-dessus : le verbe change de temps, mais le sens de base — to shine — ne change pas. C’est la différence entre une habitude et un événement terminé.

Common mistakes

1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

✗ Wrong: “Je briller dans le ciel.”

✓ Right: “Je brille dans le ciel tous les jours.”

The infinitive briller never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated present form brille.

2. Using the wrong person

✗ Wrong: “Je brilles dans le ciel.”

✓ Right: “Je brille dans le ciel tous les jours.”

brilles is the tu form, not the je form. The je form is brille — check the person before you write the form.

3. Using the present for a finished past action

✗ Wrong: “Je brille dans le ciel hier.”

✓ Right: “J'ai brillé dans le ciel hier.”

Hier points to the past, so use the present perfect ai brillé here, not the present brille.

4. Mixing up the stem in the stressed forms

✗ Wrong: “Je brillons dans le ciel.”

✓ Right: “Je brille dans le ciel tous les jours.”

brillons is the nous form. The je form is brille — the two persons never share a form in the present of briller.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on briller across the tenses. Answers with explanations follow each question.

  1. What is the tu form of briller in the Present indicative?

    • A) brillez
    • B) brilleras
    • C) brilles
    • D) auras brillé

  2. What is the je form of briller in the Present perfect (passé composé)?

    • A) ai brillé
    • B) avez brillé
    • C) as brillé
    • D) brille

  3. What is the il/elle form of briller in the Imperfect?

    • A) brillais
    • B) brillait
    • C) aura brillé
    • D) brillaient

  4. What is the nous form of briller in the Future?

    • A) aurons brillé
    • B) brillions
    • C) brillerons
    • D) brillerions

  5. What is the tu form of briller in the Conditional?

    • A) avais brillé
    • B) brilleraient
    • C) brillerais
    • D) brillerait

  6. What is the je form of briller in the Passé simple?

    • A) brillerai
    • B) aurais brillé
    • C) brilla
    • D) brillai

  7. What is the nous form of briller in the Present subjunctive?

    • A) brillâmes
    • B) brillons
    • C) brillerions
    • D) brillions

  8. What is the gerund of briller?

    • A) causant
    • B) contrôlant
    • C) en brillant
    • D) chargeant

  9. What is the past participle of briller?

    • A) brillé
    • B) chargé
    • C) avoué
    • D) peint

  10. What does briller mean in English?

  • A) shine
  • B) stop
  • C) notice
  • D) accept

Answer key

  1. C) brilles — the tu form of briller in the present indicative is brilles. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  2. A) ai brillé — the je form of briller in the present perfect (passé composé) is ai brillé. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  3. B) brillait — the il/elle form of briller in the imperfect is brillait. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  4. C) brillerons — the nous form of briller in the future is brillerons. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  5. C) brillerais — the tu form of briller in the conditional is brillerais. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  6. D) brillai — the je form of briller in the passé simple is brillai. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  7. D) brillions — the nous form of briller in the present subjunctive is brillions. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  8. C) en brillant — the gerund of briller is en brillant; it is used with en for actions happening at the same time as the main verb. The other options are the present participles of neighbouring verbs.
  9. A) brillé — the past participle of briller is brillé; perfect tenses use avoir + brillé. The other options are the participles of neighbouring verbs.
  10. A) shine — briller means “to shine” in English. The other options are the meanings of neighbouring verbs.

Frequently asked questions

What does briller mean in English?

briller means “to shine”. You use it whenever you talk about to shine in French, in the present, the past and the future.

Is briller regular or irregular?

briller is regular. briller is regular: every form follows the standard -er endings, so once you know the pattern you can build every tense from the stem. There are no surprises in any tense — the tables below are exactly what the endings predict.

What are the gerund and past participle of briller?

The gerund is en brillant and the past participle is brillé. The perfect tenses use avoir + brillé.

Where can I see the full conjugation of briller?

On the briller conjugation page — every tense, every person, with tables. The briller present tense page goes deeper into its most practised tense.

Pronunciation

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for briller, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

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