Introduction

Brûler means “to burn”, and this page covers exactly one thing: brûler 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 brûler, 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 brûler in the present. It is used every day in conversation, at work and at home. For example: “Il brûle le bois tous les jours.” — “He burns the wood every day.” Everything on this page uses the forms of brûler exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Brûler in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
je brûle
tu brûles
il/elle brûle
nous brûlons
vous brûlez
ils/elles brûlent
Gerund: en brûlant · Past participle: brûlé
The gerund is en brûlant, which you use after en to say what is happening at the same time as the main action: “En brûlant, je commence la journée.” — “While burning, I start the day.” The past participle is brûlé, which you use with avoir in the perfect tenses: ai brûlé 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 brûler is used.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for brûler, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

How the present tense of brûler is formed

The present tense of brûler has six forms: je brûle, tu brûles, il brûle, nous brûlons, vous brûlez, ils brûlent. Say them in order — je, tu, il, nous, vous, ils — and notice which forms share a stem and which do not. brûler 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 brûler 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 brûlons and brûlez pays off in three tenses at once. Second, the present is the tense French uses where English would often use the continuous form, so brûle can mean both “I burn” and “I am burning” — context tells the listener which one you mean. Because brûler 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 brûler

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use brûler 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 brûler is no exception. Use time expressions such as tous les jours, toujours or chaque semaine to make the routine explicit. Example: “Je brûle le bois à la maison.” — “I burn the wood at home.”

2. General truths

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about brûler does not need a time expression, because it is true whenever you say it. Example: “Il brûle le bois ce matin.” — “He burns the wood 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 brûler 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 brûlons le bois avec Paul.” — “We burn the wood 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 brûles le bois.” — “You burn the wood.”

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 brûler in the present is the tense that carries it. Example: “Ils brûlent le bois tous les jours.” — “They burn the wood 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 brûle le bois à la maison.” — “He burns the wood at home.”
  • Passé Composé: “Il a brûlé le bois la semaine dernière.” — “He has burned the wood 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 brûle le bois ce matin.” — “I burn the wood this morning.”
  • Passé Composé: “J'ai brûlé le bois ce matin.” — “I have burned the wood 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 brûles le bois avec Paul.” — “You burn the wood with Paul.”
  • Passé Composé: “Tu as brûlé le bois avant la fête.” — “You have burned the wood 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: brûler 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 brûle le bois à la maison.” — “I burn the wood at home.”
  2. “Tu brûles le bois ce matin.” — “You burn the wood this morning.”
  3. “Il brûle le bois avec Paul.” — “He burns the wood with Paul.”
  4. “Nous brûlons le bois.” — “We burn the wood.”
  5. “Vous brûlez le bois tous les jours.” — “You burn the wood every day.”
  6. “Ils brûlent le bois à la maison.” — “They burn the wood at home.”
  7. “Je brûle le bois tous les jours.” — “I burn the wood every day.”
  8. “Il brûle le bois avec Paul.” — “He burns the wood 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 brûles le bois.” Right: “Je brûle le bois tous les jours.” Why: The je form is brûle, not brûles. brûles is the tu form. Mixing the two persons is the most common error with this verb.
  • Wrong: “Nous brûle le bois.” Right: “Nous brûlons le bois tous les jours.” Why: Nous needs the nous form brûlons. brûle belongs with je only. Learn the six forms as two groups — singular and plural — and the pattern becomes automatic.
  • Wrong: “Je brûle le bois hier.” Right: “J'ai brûlé le bois hier.” Why: Hier points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the passé composé ai brûlé for a finished action yesterday.
  • Wrong: “Je brûler le bois.” Right: “Je brûle le bois tous les jours.” Why: The infinitive brûler never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated form brûle.

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 brûler in the Present indicative?

    • A) brûlons
    • B) ai brûlé
    • C) brûle
    • D) brûlais

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

    • A) brûle
    • B) brûles
    • C) brûlons
    • D) avais brûlé

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

    • A) brûles
    • B) brûlera
    • C) brûlez
    • D) brûle

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

    • A) brûlâmes
    • B) brûlons
    • C) brûle
    • D) aurions brûlé

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

    • A) auriez brûlé
    • B) brûlent
    • C) aviez brûlé
    • D) brûlez

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

    • A) brûlaient
    • B) brûlent
    • C) brûle
    • D) avaient brûlé

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

    • A) brûle
    • B) brûles
    • C) brûlent
    • D) brûlons

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

    • A) brûlas
    • B) brûles
    • C) brûlons
    • D) aurais brûlé

Answer key

  1. C) brûle — the je form of brûler in the present indicative is brûle. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  2. B) brûles — the tu form of brûler in the present indicative is brûles. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  3. D) brûle — the il/elle form of brûler in the present indicative is brûle. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  4. B) brûlons — the nous form of brûler in the present indicative is brûlons. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  5. D) brûlez — the vous form of brûler in the present indicative is brûlez. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  6. B) brûlent — the ils/elles form of brûler in the present indicative is brûlent. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  7. A) brûle — the je form of brûler in the present indicative is brûle. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  8. B) brûles — the tu form of brûler in the present indicative is brûles. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.

Frequently asked questions

What does brûler mean in English?

brûler means “to burn”. It is a non-reflexive, regular verb.

How is the present tense of brûler formed?

The six present forms are: je brûle, tu brûles, il brûle, nous brûlons, vous brûlez, ils brûlent. brûler 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 brûler?

The gerund is en brûlant and the past participle is brûlé.

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