témoigner

Témoigner is a French verb meaning to bear witness or to testify, in the sense of giving evidence about an event, fact, or belief. It can refer to formal testimony in a court of law as well as more informal or moral assertion, such as speaking from personal experience or faith. The construction témoigner de quelque chose means to testify about or to bear testimony to something; témoigner que introduces a clause reporting what is stated or believed.

Etymology: The verb is derived from the noun témoin (witness) and the related noun témoignage; its etymology traces back to Latin testimonium through Old French, with the sense of providing evidence or proof.

Usage: In legal contexts one can say "témoigner devant le tribunal" or "témoigner sous serment." More broadly, people can "témoigner de leur expérience" or "témoigner que les faits se sont produits." The present participle is "témoignant" and the past participle is "témoigné." The auxiliary for compound tenses is avoir: "J'ai témoigné."

Conjugation (present indicative): je témoigne, tu témoignes, il témoigne, nous témoignons, vous témoignez, ils témoignent; passé composé: j'ai témoigné; imperfect: je témoignais; future: je témoignerai; conditional: je témoignerais; subjunctive: que je témoigne.

See also: témoin, témoignage.