plaindre
complain
C’est ressentir de la tristesse ou de la compassion pour quelqu’un qui a des difficultés ou qui souffre.
Word: plaindre
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: The French verb "plaindre" means "to pity," "to feel sorry for," or "to complain." It is a regular -re verb with some irregularities in conjugation.
Explanations:
-
To pity or to feel sorry for someone:
- When you plaindre someone, you express sympathy or compassion towards them because they are in a difficult or unfortunate situation.
- Example: Je plains cette famille qui a perdu sa maison. (I pity this family who lost their home.)
-
Reflexive form "se plaindre":
- Means "to complain" or "to grumble."
- Used when someone expresses dissatisfaction or annoyance about something.
- Example: Elle se plaint toujours du travail. (She always complains about work.)
Parts:
- Root: plaind- (from Latin plangere “to bewail”)
- Conjugates irregularly in some forms.
Synonyms:
- For "to pity": avoir pitié de, compatir
- For "to complain" (with se plaindre): se lamenter, râler, protester
Antonyms:
- For "to pity": mépriser (to despise)
- For "to complain": accepter, apprécier (to accept, to appreciate)
Summary table:
| French | English meaning |
|---|---|
| plaindre (qqn) | to pity, to feel sorry for someone |
| se plaindre | to complain |
If you need detailed conjugation or usage examples, feel free to ask!
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Examples
Ils commencent à se plaindre de la situation.verb
They are starting to complain about the situation.
Certains aiment se plaindre du temps.verb
Some people like to complain about the weather.
Elle s’est plainte du bruit toute la nuit.verb
She complained about the noise all night.
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