félicitent

Félicitent is the third-person plural present indicative form of the French verb féliciter. The verb means to congratulate or to felicitate someone for an achievement, success, or good fortune. It is used with a plural subject, as in ils félicitent les gagnants or elles félicitent leurs amis.

As a regular -er verb, féliciter follows the standard present tense endings: je félicite, tu félicites, il/elle félicite, nous félicitons, vous félicitiez, ils/elles félicitent. The spelling of the stem is félicit-, with the final -ent marking the third-person plural form in the present tense. The form félicitent is thus distinguished from singular forms like félicite or the non-present forms such as félicitant.

Usage and nuance: félicitent is used to express praise and commendation in formal and informal contexts, often after an accomplishment (graduation, competition, promotion) or a fortunate event. It can be followed by a direct object (Ils félicitent le champion) or used with an indirect sense of congratulating someone for a specific achievement (Ils félicitent leurs collègues pour leur réussite). The verb is transitive and common in everyday speech, press reports, sports commentary, and celebratory communications.

Etymology and related forms: féliciter derives from Latin felicitas, meaning happiness or good fortune. Related forms include félicitations (noun, the act or expression of congratulations), félicité (past participle and noun usage related to happiness), and félicitant (present participle). The word family centers on conveying praise and well-wishing.