He gave a short talk.
- Il fit un bref discours.
In short, he's run off without paying off his debt.
- En bref, il s'est enfui sans payer ses dettes.
After a brief speech the mayor fielded questions from reporters.
- Après un bref discours, le maire prit quelques questions des journalistes.
He gave me a brief outline of the plan.
- Il me donna un bref aperçu du projet.