The English verb "complain" means "to express dissatisfaction, to protest" in English. It is a regular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "complain" across all 5 tenses. New to English verbs? Start with the English verb guide.
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How to Conjugate "complain" in the Present Tense
Simple Present Actions happening now or regularly| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| I | I | complain |
| you | you (singular) | complain |
| he/she/it | he/she/it | complains |
| we | we | complain |
| you | you (plural) | complain |
| they | they | complain |
He complains about his homework.
say it Hee kum-PLAYNZ uh-BOUT hiz HOHM-wurk
He complains about his homework.
In other languages
- French Il se plaint de ses devoirs.
- German Er beschwert sich über seine Hausaufgaben.
- Spanish Se queja de sus deberes.
- Dutch Hij klaagt over zijn huiswerk.
I complain when the food is cold.
say it AI kum-PLAYN wen thuh food iz kold
I complain when the food is cold.
In other languages
- French Je me plains quand la nourriture est froide.
- German Ich beschwere mich, wenn das Essen kalt ist.
- Spanish Me quejo cuando la comida está fría.
- Dutch Ik klaag als het eten koud is.
How to Conjugate "complain" in the Past Tense
Simple Past Actions that happened in the past| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| I | I | complained |
| you | you (singular) | complained |
| he/she/it | he/she/it | complained |
| we | we | complained |
| you | you (plural) | complained |
| they | they | complained |
He complained about the noise.
say it hee kum-PLAYND uh-BOWT thuh noyz
He complained about the noise.
In other languages
- French Il s'est plaint du bruit.
- German Er hat sich über den Lärm beschwert.
- Spanish Él se quejó del ruido.
- Dutch Hij klaagde over het lawaai.
I complained about the cold room.
say it ai kum-PLAYND uh-BOWT thuh kold room
I complained about the cold room.
In other languages
- French Je me suis plaint de la chambre froide.
- German Ich habe mich über das kalte Zimmer beschwert.
- Spanish Me quejé de la habitación fría.
- Dutch Ik klaagde over de koude kamer.
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Try VerbPal FreeHow to Conjugate "complain" in the Future Tense
Simple Future Actions that will happen| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| I | I | will complain |
| you | you (singular) | will complain |
| he/she/it | he/she/it | will complain |
| we | we | will complain |
| you | you (plural) | will complain |
| they | they | will complain |
He will complain about the food.
say it He wil kum-PLAYN uh-BOUT the food
He will complain about the food.
In other languages
- French Il se plaindra de la nourriture.
- German Er wird sich über das Essen beschweren.
- Spanish Se quejará de la comida.
- Dutch Hij zal klagen over het eten.
I will complain about the noise.
say it I wil kum-PLAYN uh-BOUT the noyz
I will complain about the noise.
In other languages
- French Je me plaindrai du bruit.
- German Ich werde mich über den Lärm beschweren.
- Spanish Me quejaré del ruido.
- Dutch Ik zal over het lawaai klagen.
How to Conjugate "complain" in the Present (-ing) Tense
Present Continuous Actions happening right now| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| I | I | am complaining |
| you | you (singular) | are complaining |
| he/she/it | he/she/it | is complaining |
| we | we | are complaining |
| you | you (plural) | are complaining |
| they | they | are complaining |
He is complaining about the cold.
say it hee iz kum-PLAY-ning uh-BOWT thuh kold
He is complaining about the cold.
In other languages
- French Il se plaint du froid.
- German Er beschwert sich über die Kälte.
- Spanish Se está quejando del frío.
- Dutch Hij klaagt over de kou.
I am complaining about the noise.
say it ai am kum-PLAY-ning uh-BOWT thuh noyz
I am complaining about the noise.
In other languages
- French Je me plains du bruit.
- German Ich beschwere mich über den Lärm.
- Spanish Me estoy quejando del ruido.
- Dutch Ik klaag over het lawaai.
How to Conjugate "complain" in the Have done Tense
Present Perfect Actions completed with present relevance| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| I | I | have complained |
| you | you (singular) | have complained |
| he/she/it | he/she/it | has complained |
| we | we | have complained |
| you | you (plural) | have complained |
| they | they | have complained |
He has complained about the food.
say it hee haz kum-PLAYND uh-BOWT thuh FOOD
He has complained about the food.
In other languages
- French Il s'est plaint de la nourriture.
- German Er hat sich über das Essen beschwert.
- Spanish Se ha quejado de la comida.
- Dutch Hij heeft over het eten geklaagd.
I have complained about the noise.
say it ai hav kum-PLAYND uh-BOWT thuh NOYZ
I have complained about the noise.
In other languages
- French Je me suis plaint du bruit.
- German Ich habe mich über den Lärm beschwert.
- Spanish Me he quejado del ruido.
- Dutch Ik heb over het lawaai geklaagd.
Frequently Asked Questions About "complain"
Is "complain" regular or irregular in English?
"Complain" is a regular English verb that follows standard conjugation patterns for its verb group.
What does "complain" mean in English?
The English verb "complain" means "to express dissatisfaction, to protest" in English.
How do you conjugate "complain" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Simple Present): I → complain, you → complain, he/she/it → complains, we → complain, you → complain, they → complain.
How many tenses does "complain" have in English?
"Complain" is conjugated across 5 tenses in English: Present, Past, Future, Present (-ing), Have done.
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