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FRENCH VERB

se plaindre

to complain

  • #196 most used
  • Irregular -re verb
  • Past participle: plaint
  • Present participle: se plaignant

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

  1. je I complain
  2. tu you complain
  3. il, elle, on he/she complains
  4. nous we complain
  5. vous you complain
  6. ils, elles they complain

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

  1. je I complained
  2. tu you complained
  3. il, elle, on he/she complained
  4. nous we complained
  5. vous you complained
  6. ils, elles they complained

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

  1. je I used to complain
  2. tu you used to complain
  3. il, elle, on he/she used to complain
  4. nous we used to complain
  5. vous you used to complain
  6. ils, elles they used to complain

Future

Futur simple · plans; in speech, “je vais parler” is just as common

  1. je I will complain
  2. tu you will complain
  3. il, elle, on he/she will complain
  4. nous we will complain
  5. vous you will complain
  6. ils, elles they will complain

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

  1. je I would complain
  2. tu you would complain
  3. il, elle, on he/she would complain
  4. nous we would complain
  5. vous you would complain
  6. ils, elles they would complain

Present subjunctive

Subjonctif présent · wishes, doubts, “il faut que …”

  1. je (that) I complain
  2. tu (that) you complain
  3. il, elle, on (that) he/she complain
  4. nous (that) we complain
  5. vous (that) you complain
  6. ils, elles (that) they complain

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

  1. tu complain!
  2. nous complain! (let’s)
  3. vous complain! (plural, or formal)

How to use se plaindre

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    Les voisins se plaignent encore de la musique.

    The neighbours are complaining about the music again.

  2. Past

    Elle s'est plainte du froid toute la soirée.

    She complained about the cold all evening.

  3. Imperfect

    Mon grand-père ne se plaignait jamais de rien.

    My grandfather never complained about anything.

  4. Future

    Si ça continue, je me plaindrai à la direction.

    If this goes on, I'll complain to the management.

  5. Conditional

    À ta place, je ne me plaindrais pas.

    In your shoes, I wouldn't complain.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Je ne veux pas que tu te plaignes devant les clients.

    I don't want you complaining in front of the customers.

  7. Imperative

    Ne te plains pas, tu as de la chance !

    Don't complain, you're lucky!

Good to know

  • Se plaindre de quelque chose : il se plaint du bruit. Se plaindre à quelqu'un is to complain to them.

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: irregular -re verb.