plaindre
In the tables below, the stem is shown in black and the ending in purple.
1.Présent
Présent
Current actions, habits, and general truths.
| je | plains |
| tu | plains |
| il/elle | plaint |
| nous | plaignons |
| vous | plaignez |
| ils/elles | plaignent |
Je plains souvent les personnes en difficulté.
I often pity people in difficulty.
Elle plaint son ami qui a perdu son emploi.
She pities her friend who lost his job.
2.Passé Composé
Passé Composé
Completed past actions with present relevance.
| je | ai plaint |
| tu | as plaint |
| il/elle | a plaint |
| nous | avons plaint |
| vous | avez plaint |
| ils/elles | ont plaint |
Nous avons plaint les victimes de l'accident.
We pitied the victims of the accident.
Ils ont plaint leur voisin malade.
They pitied their sick neighbor.
3.Imparfait
Imparfait
Ongoing or habitual past actions, descriptions, and background.
| je | plaignais |
| tu | plaignais |
| il/elle | plaignait |
| nous | plaignions |
| vous | plaigniez |
| ils/elles | plaignaient |
Quand j'étais enfant, je plaignais souvent les animaux abandonnés.
When I was a child, I often pitied abandoned animals.
Elle plaignait toujours ceux qui souffraient.
She always pitied those who were suffering.
4.Futur Simple
Futur Simple
Future events, promises, and formal predictions.
| je | plaindrai |
| tu | plaindras |
| il/elle | plaindra |
| nous | plaindrons |
| vous | plaindrez |
| ils/elles | plaindront |
Demain, je plaindrai ceux qui ont perdu leurs maisons.
Tomorrow, I will pity those who lost their homes.
Ils plaindront les enfants qui n'ont pas de famille.
They will pity the children who have no family.
5.Conditionnel Présent
Conditionnel Présent
Hypothetical outcomes, polite requests, and reported future.
| je | plaindrais |
| tu | plaindrais |
| il/elle | plaindrait |
| nous | plaindrions |
| vous | plaindriez |
| ils/elles | plaindraient |
Je te plaindrais si tu avais des problèmes.
I would pity you if you had problems.
Elle plaindrait les gens qui souffrent en silence.
She would pity people who suffer in silence.
6.Subjonctif Présent
Subjonctif Présent
Doubt, desire, necessity, and emotion in subordinate clauses.
| je | plaigne |
| tu | plaignes |
| il/elle | plaigne |
| nous | plaignions |
| vous | plaigniez |
| ils/elles | plaignent |
Il faut que je plaigne ceux qui sont dans le besoin.
It is necessary that I pity those who are in need.
Bien qu'elle plaigne souvent les autres, elle oublie de se plaindre.
Although she often pities others, she forgets to pity herself.
7.Plus-que-parfait
Plus-que-parfait
Actions completed before another past action.
| je | avais plaint |
| tu | avais plaint |
| il/elle | avait plaint |
| nous | avions plaint |
| vous | aviez plaint |
| ils/elles | avaient plaint |
J'avais plaint mon ami avant qu'il ne parte.
I had pitied my friend before he left.
Ils avaient plaint les victimes avant de partir.
They had pitied the victims before leaving.
"plaindre" in other languages
Related verbs
Common questions
- Is "plaindre" regular or irregular in French?
- "plaindre" is an irregular French verb. It does not follow the standard 3rd conjugation pattern and must be memorized.
- How do you conjugate "plaindre" in the present tense?
- In the Présent, "plaindre" conjugates as: plains, plains, plaignons, and more. See the full table above.
- What is the past tense of "plaindre" in French?
- In the Passé Composé, "plaindre" conjugates as: ai plaint, as plaint, avons plaint, and more. See the full table above.
- How common is "plaindre" in French?
- "plaindre" (to pity, to complain) is one of the most commonly used verbs in French.