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Verb conjugation

bricoler

to do DIY; to tinker (to fiddle with something in an attempt to fix, mend or improve it)

Usage

To tinker, do DIY, or fix things around the house (bricoler dans le garage), and informally, to improvise or patch together a makeshift solution (bricoler une solution). One of the most common everyday verbs for home projects and small repairs.

Examples
  • Le week-end, il aime bricoler dans son garage.On weekends, he likes to tinker in his garage.
  • Elle a bricolé une étagère avec de vieilles planches.She put together a shelf out of old boards.
  • On a dû bricoler une solution en attendant le réparateur.We had to improvise a fix while waiting for the repairman.
Common mistake

Bricoler covers both genuine DIY skill and rough, improvised fixes — context and tone signal which one is meant, so don't assume it always implies careless or amateurish work.

Simple tenses

Present

jebricole
tubricoles
il/ellebricole
nousbricolons
vousbricolez
ils/ellesbricolent

Imperfect

jebricolais
tubricolais
il/ellebricolait
nousbricolions
vousbricoliez
ils/ellesbricolaient

Past historic (passé simple)

jebricolai
tubricolas
il/ellebricola
nousbricolâmes
vousbricolâtes
ils/ellesbricolèrent

Future

jebricolerai
tubricoleras
il/ellebricolera
nousbricolerons
vousbricolerez
ils/ellesbricoleront

Conditional

jebricolerais
tubricolerais
il/ellebricolerait
nousbricolerions
vousbricoleriez
ils/ellesbricoleraient

Subjunctive

jebricole
tubricoles
il/ellebricole
nousbricolions
vousbricoliez
ils/ellesbricolent

Subjunctive (imperfect)

jebricolasse
tubricolasses
il/ellebricolât
nousbricolassions
vousbricolassiez
ils/ellesbricolassent

Imperative

tubricole
nousbricolons
vousbricolez

Compound tenses

Passé composé

jeai bricolé
tuas bricolé
il/ellea bricolé
nousavons bricolé
vousavez bricolé
ils/ellesont bricolé

Plus-que-parfait

jeavais bricolé
tuavais bricolé
il/elleavait bricolé
nousavions bricolé
vousaviez bricolé
ils/ellesavaient bricolé

Passé antérieur

jeeus bricolé
tueus bricolé
il/elleeut bricolé
nouseûmes bricolé
vouseûtes bricolé
ils/elleseurent bricolé

Futur antérieur

jeaurai bricolé
tuauras bricolé
il/elleaura bricolé
nousaurons bricolé
vousaurez bricolé
ils/ellesauront bricolé

Conditionnel passé

jeaurais bricolé
tuaurais bricolé
il/elleaurait bricolé
nousaurions bricolé
vousauriez bricolé
ils/ellesauraient bricolé

Subjonctif passé

jeaie bricolé
tuaies bricolé
il/elleait bricolé
nousayons bricolé
vousayez bricolé
ils/ellesaient bricolé

Subjonctif plus-que-parfait

jeeusse bricolé
tueusses bricolé
il/elleeût bricolé
nouseussions bricolé
vouseussiez bricolé
ils/elleseussent bricolé

Impératif passé

tuaie bricolé
nousayons bricolé
vousayez bricolé

Other

Present participle

bricolant

Past participle

bricolé

Infinitive

bricoler

Want to practice? Try a conjugation exercise.

Frequently asked questions

What does "bricoler" mean?

"bricoler" means "to do DIY; to tinker (to fiddle with something in an attempt to fix, mend or improve it)".

How do you conjugate "bricoler" in the present tense?

The present of "bricoler" is: je bricole, tu bricoles, il/elle bricole, nous bricolons, vous bricolez, ils/elles bricolent.

What is the Passé composé of "bricoler"?

The passé composé of "bricoler" is: je ai bricolé, tu as bricolé, il/elle a bricolé, nous avons bricolé, vous avez bricolé, ils/elles ont bricolé.

What is the Imperative of "bricoler"?

The imperative of "bricoler" is: tu bricole, nous bricolons, vous bricolez.