feignons

Feignons is the first-person plural present indicative form of the French verb feindre, meaning to feign or pretend. It translates roughly as “we feign” and is used to describe pretending a feeling, attitude, or circumstance. Feindre is transitive and can take a direct object (feindre la joie, feindre l’innocence) or be used with de + infinitive to indicate pretending to do something (feindre de savoir, feindre de connaître la vérité).

Etymology and usage: Feindre comes from Old French feindre, from Latin fingere “to shape, invent, pretend.” The word is commonly found in literary and formal contexts, but remains part of everyday French, especially in narrative or ironic prose. It covers both feigning an emotion (feindre la douleur) and feigning knowledge or intention (feindre de comprendre).

Conjugation and forms: Feindre belongs to the group of -indre verbs. Present tense forms include je feins, tu feins, il feint, nous feignons, vous feignez, ils feignent. The past participle is feint, used with avoir in compound tenses (Il a feint). The present participle is feignant. The present subjunctive form for nous is feignions, a form that can be confused with the imperfect indicative vous or nous forms in spelling.

Examples (translations): Nous feignons l’innocence. (We feign innocence.) Ils feignent de connaître la vérité. (They pretend to know the truth.) Elle a feint la surprise. (She feinted surprise.)

See also: feindre l’ignorance, feindre de faire, feint (past participle).