Introduction

Briller means “to shine”, and this page covers exactly one thing: briller in the present tense. The present is the tense French speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly, what is true in general, and what is happening right now. On this page you will find the full present table for briller, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the passé composé, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about briller in the present. It is used every day in conversation, at work and at home. For example: “Il brille dans le ciel tous les jours.” — “He shines in the sky every day.” Everything on this page uses the forms of briller exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Briller in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
je brille
tu brilles
il/elle brille
nous brillons
vous brillez
ils/elles brillent
Gerund: en brillant · Past participle: brillé
The gerund is en brillant, which you use after en to say what is happening at the same time as the main action: “En brillant, je commence la journée.” — “While shining, I start the day.” The past participle is brillé, which you use with avoir in the perfect tenses: ai brillé is the present perfect, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present tense is only one part of how briller is used.
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.

How the present tense of briller is formed

The present tense of briller has six forms: je brille, tu brilles, il brille, nous brillons, vous brillez, ils brillent. Say them in order — je, tu, il, nous, vous, ils — and notice which forms share a stem and which do not. 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. The present is the tense you will use most, so learn these six forms before you learn any other tense of this verb. Two things about the present of briller are worth noticing. First, the nous and vous forms are the anchor of the verb: the imperfect is built from the nous form, and the present subjunctive takes its nous and vous forms from the same stem, so learning brillons and brillez pays off in three tenses at once. Second, the present is the tense French uses where English would often use the continuous form, so brille can mean both “I shine” and “I am shining” — context tells the listener which one you mean. Because briller is regular in the present, the six forms follow the standard -er endings exactly. Once you know the pattern for one regular -er verb, you know it for all of them — only the stem changes. That is why the present of a regular verb is the cheapest tense to learn in the whole language.

When to use the present of briller

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use briller in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.

1. Habits and routines

The present tense is the tense of routine. When something happens every day, every week or every morning, the present is the natural choice, and briller is no exception. Use time expressions such as tous les jours, toujours or chaque semaine to make the routine explicit. Example: “Je brille dans le ciel à la maison.” — “I shine in the sky at home.”

2. General truths

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about briller does not need a time expression, because it is true whenever you say it. Example: “Il brille dans le ciel ce matin.” — “He shines in the sky this morning.”

3. What is happening right now

The present also describes an action in progress at this very moment. French often prefers the simple present where English would use the continuous form, so a sentence with briller in the present can mean both “I do this” and “I am doing this now”. Context tells the listener which one you mean. Example: “Nous brillons dans le ciel avec Paul.” — “We shine in the sky with Paul.”

4. Scheduled future events

French uses the present for something already fixed in the near future, especially with a time expression. It sounds more certain than the future tense, because the plan is already made. Example: “Tu brilles dans le ciel.” — “You shine in the sky.”

5. Narration and commentary

In stories, instructions and live commentary, the present brings the action into the room. A recipe, a game or a story told in the present feels immediate, and briller in the present is the tense that carries it. Example: “Ils brillent dans le ciel tous les jours.” — “They shine in the sky every day.”

Present Tense vs Passé Composé: how to choose

The closest tense to the present is the passé composé, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, general truths and what is happening now, while the passé composé describes one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is the time frame — and with it, the tense. Notice how the present sentences use words such as tous les jours or toujours, while the passé composé sentences use hier or la semaine dernière. Those time words are your best clue when you are choosing a tense.

  • Present Tense: “Il brille dans le ciel à la maison.” — “He shines in the sky at home.”
  • Passé Composé: “Il a brillé dans le ciel la semaine dernière.” — “He has shone in the sky last week.”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the passé composé sentence is one finished event. Tous les jours points to the present, hier points to the passé composé.
  • Present Tense: “Je brille dans le ciel ce matin.” — “I shine in the sky this morning.”
  • Passé Composé: “J'ai brillé dans le ciel ce matin.” — “I have shone in the sky this morning.”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the passé composé sentence is one finished event. Tous les jours points to the present, hier points to the passé composé.
  • Present Tense: “Tu brilles dans le ciel avec Paul.” — “You shine in the sky with Paul.”
  • Passé Composé: “Tu as brillé dans le ciel avant la fête.” — “You have shone in the sky before the party.”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the passé composé sentence is one finished event. Tous les jours points to the present, hier points to the passé composé.

Example sentences: briller in the present tense

Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions and the objects — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.

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

Common mistakes

These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.

  • Wrong: “Je brilles dans le ciel.” Right: “Je brille dans le ciel tous les jours.” Why: The je form is brille, not brilles. brilles is the tu form. Mixing the two persons is the most common error with this verb.
  • Wrong: “Nous brille dans le ciel.” Right: “Nous brillons dans le ciel tous les jours.” Why: Nous needs the nous form brillons. brille belongs with je only. Learn the six forms as two groups — singular and plural — and the pattern becomes automatic.
  • Wrong: “Je brille dans le ciel hier.” Right: “J'ai brillé dans le ciel hier.” Why: Hier points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the passé composé ai brillé for a finished action yesterday.
  • Wrong: “Je briller dans le ciel.” Right: “Je brille dans le ciel tous les jours.” Why: The infinitive briller never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated form brille.

Quiz: test yourself

Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.

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

    • A) brillasse
    • B) brillez
    • C) brillais
    • D) brille

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

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

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

    • A) brille
    • B) brillait
    • C) avait brillé
    • D) brillerait

  4. What is the nous form of briller in the Present indicative?

    • A) brillent
    • B) brillions
    • C) brillons
    • D) brilles

  5. What is the vous form of briller in the Present indicative?

    • A) brille
    • B) brilliez
    • C) brillez
    • D) aviez brillé

  6. What is the ils/elles form of briller in the Present indicative?

    • A) brillent
    • B) brilles
    • C) brillassent
    • D) brilleront

  7. What is the je form of briller in the Present indicative?

    • A) brillons
    • B) avais brillé
    • C) brille
    • D) brillais

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

    • A) brillez
    • B) aurais brillé
    • C) brilles
    • D) brillas

Answer key

  1. D) brille — the je form of briller in the present indicative is brille. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  2. A) 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.
  3. A) brille — the il/elle form of briller in the present indicative is brille. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  4. C) brillons — the nous form of briller in the present indicative is brillons. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  5. C) brillez — the vous form of briller in the present indicative is brillez. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  6. A) brillent — the ils/elles form of briller in the present indicative is brillent. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  7. C) brille — the je form of briller in the present indicative is brille. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  8. 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.

Frequently asked questions

What does briller mean in English?

briller means “to shine”. It is a non-reflexive, regular verb.

How is the present tense of briller formed?

The six present forms are: je brille, tu brilles, il brille, nous brillons, vous brillez, ils brillent. 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.

When do I use the present instead of the passé composé?

Use the present for habits, general truths and what is happening now. Use the passé composé for one finished action in the past. The time words are your best clue: tous les jours points to the present, hier points to the passé composé.

What are the gerund and past participle of briller?

The gerund is en brillant and the past participle is brillé.

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