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Ils se plaignent souvent du comportement de leur ami.

Ils se plaignent souvent du comportement de leur ami.
They often complain about their friend's behavior.
From Lesson 167:Indefinite relative pronouns with 'de' verbs (ce dont)·French

Questions & Answers about Ils se plaignent souvent du comportement de leur ami.

Why is the verb spelled se plaignent with a 'gn'?
The verb is se plaindre (to complain). Verbs ending in -indre drop the -d and add a -g before the -n in their plural forms. So, ils se plaignent is the present tense for 'they complain'.
Why does the sentence use du comportement instead of just le comportement?
The verb is se plaindre de, meaning you always complain 'of' something in French. Because comportement is masculine singular (le comportement), the preposition de combines with le to become du.
How does this sentence help me understand the lesson on ce dont?
Because the verb requires de (se plaindre de), any time you want to say 'what they complain about', you must use ce dont. For example: C'est ce dont ils se plaignent (That is what they complain about).
Could I put souvent before the verb, just like 'often' in English?
No, in French, short adverbs like souvent (often) usually go immediately after the conjugated verb, never before it. That is why it is Ils se plaignent souvent and not Ils souvent se plaignent.
Why is it leur ami instead of leurs amis if ils is plural?
Possessive adjectives agree with the noun that follows them (the thing being owned), not the owners. Since they are talking about one single friend (ami), you use the singular leur. If they were complaining about multiple friends, it would be leurs amis.

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