témoigne

Témoigne is the third-person singular present indicative form of the French verb témoigner, meaning to bear witness or to testify. It also appears as the second-person singular imperative form (tu témoigne). The noun for a statement of evidence or testimony is témoignage, not témoigne.

Conjugation (selected forms) illustrate its usage in main tenses. In the present indicative: je témoigne, tu témoignes, il témoigne, nous témoignons, vous témoignez, ils témoignent. The passé composé is j'ai témoigné; the imparfait is je témoignais; the plus-que-parfait is j'avais témoigné. The passé simple is il témoigna (found primarily in literary contexts). The futur simple is il témoignera. The subjonctif présent includes que je témoigne, que tu témoignes, qu'il témoigne, que nous témoignions, que vous témoigniez, qu'ils témoignent. The impératif, used for direct commands or requests, is témoigne, témoignons, témoignez.

Usage and nuance: Témoigner denotes giving testimony or bearing witness in legal, journalistic, and historical settings, as well as recounting personal experiences. It is common to say témoigner de quelque chose to attest to or demonstrate a fact or phenomenon, for example, « ce document témoigne de l’ampleur du phénomène ». The verb can carry formal, evidentiary, or narrative implications depending on context.

Etymology and related terms: The verb is of French origin, derived from Old French temonier/temoigner and related to temoin (witness); it ultimately traces back to Latin testimonium. The related noun is témoignage, and related verbs include témoigner and the noun témoin.

See also: témoignage, témoigner, témoin.