propose

See also: proposé

English

Etymology

From Middle English proposen, from Anglo-Norman proposer (verb), propos (noun), Middle French proposer (verb) , propos (noun), from Latin prōpōnō, prōpōnere, with conjugation altered based on poser. Doublet of propound.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /pɹəˈpəʊz/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /pɹəˈpoʊz/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -əʊz

Verb

propose (third-person singular simple present proposes, present participle proposing, simple past and past participle proposed)

1. (transitive) To suggest a plan, course of action, etc.

   Synonyms: put forth, suggest, (rare) forthput

   I propose going to see a film.

   to propose an alliance

   to propose a question for discussion

   • 2019, VOA Learning English (public domain)

     President Moon Jae-in proposed the plan this week during a meeting with government officials, his spokesman said.

     Audio (US)

     (file)

2. (intransitive, sometimes followed by to) To ask for a person's hand in marriage.

   He proposed to her last night and she accepted him.

3. (transitive) To intend.

   He proposes to set up his own business.

   • 1859, John Gorham Palfrey, History of New England, Preface (Google preview):

     I propose to relate, in several volumes, the history of the people of New England.

   • 2013 August 16, John Vidal, “Dams endanger ecology of Himalayas”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 10, page 8:

     Many of the proposed dams would be among the tallest in the world.

4. (obsolete) To talk; to converse.
   • 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:

     HERO. Good Margaret, run thee to the parlour;
     There shalt thou find my cousin Beatrice
     Proposing with the prince and Claudio

5. (obsolete) To set forth.
   • [1611?], Homer, “Book XI”, in Geo[rge] Chapman, transl., The Iliads of Homer Prince of Poets. […], London: […] Nathaniell Butter, →OCLC; The Iliads of Homer, Prince of Poets, […], new edition, volume I, London: Charles Knight and Co., […], 1843, →OCLC:

     […] so weighty was the cup,
     That being propos'd brimful of wine, one scarce could lift it up.

     The spelling has been modernized.

Usage notes

• In use 1, this is sometimes a catenative verb that takes the gerund (-ing).
• In use 3, this is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive.
• For more information, see Appendix:English catenative verbs
• Compared to to suggest, to propose is more deliberate and definite. To suggest is merely to mention, while to propose is to have a definite plan and intention.

Derived terms

• proposal
• propose marriage
• proposement

 

Related terms

• proponent
• proposition

Translations

to suggest a plan or course of action

• Arabic: اِقْتَرَحَ (iqtaraḥa)
• Breton: kinnig (br)
• Bulgarian: предлагам (bg) (predlagam)
• Catalan: proposar (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 提議／提议 (zh) (tíyì)

• Czech: navrhnout (cs)
• Danish: foreslå (da)
• Dutch: voorstellen (nl)
• Esperanto: ^{(please verify)} proponi
• Finnish: ehdottaa (fi), esittää (fi); (casually, repeatedly) ehdotella (fi)
• French: proposer (fr)
• German: vorschlagen (de)
• Greek: προτείνω (el) (proteíno)
• Hungarian: javasol (hu), ajánl (hu), indítványoz (hu), proponál (hu)
• Interlingua: proponer
• Italian: proporre (it)
• Japanese: 申し込む (ja) (もうしこむ, mōshikomu)
• Korean: 제안(提案)하다 (ko) (jean-hada)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: پێشنیازکردن (pêşnyazkirdin)

• Latin: cēnseō, prōpōnō
• Maori: marohi, mārohirohi, whakatū, whakatū, taka mahara, taka whakaaro, taka mahara, taka whakaaro, uaki, whakatū, whakaari
• Norman: proposer
• Northern Sami: evttohit
• Norwegian: foreslå (no)
• Persian: پیشنهاد کردن (fa) (pêšnahâd kardan)
• Polish: proponować (pl) impf, zaproponować (pl) pf
• Portuguese: propor (pt)
• Romanian: propune (ro), sugestiona (ro)
• Russian: предлага́ть (ru) impf (predlagátʹ), предложи́ть (ru) pf (predložítʹ)
• Scots: propone
• Spanish: proponer (es)
• Swedish: föreslå (sv)
• Turkish: teklif etmek (tr)
• Vietnamese: đề nghị (vi) (提議), đề xuất (vi), gợi ý (vi)

to ask for one's hand in marriage

• Bulgarian: правя пердложение (pravja perdloženie)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 求婚 (zh) (qiúhūn)

• Danish: fri (da)
• Dutch: ten huwelijk vragen
• Finnish: kosia (fi)
• French: demander en mariage
• German: einen Heiratsantrag machen
• Greek: κάνω πρόταση γάμου (káno prótasi gámou)
• Hungarian: megkéri a kezét (hu)
• Indonesian: melamar (id), meminang (id)
• Italian: proporre il matrimonio
• Japanese: プロポーズする (ja) (puropōzu suru), 結婚を申し込む (kekkon o mōshikomu), 求婚する (ja) (きゅうこんする, kyūkon suru)
• Korean: 구애하다 (ko) (guae-hada), 프러포즈하다 (peureopojeuhada), 프러포즈를 하다 (peureopojeureul hada)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: داوای دەس کردن (daway des kirdin)

• Northern Sami: sogŋostallat
• Norwegian: fri (no)
• Persian: خواستگاری (fa) (xâstgâri)
• Polish: oświadczać się (pl) impf, oświadczyć się (pl) pf
• Portuguese: pedir a mão
• Romanian: peți (ro), a cere în căsătorie
• Russian: де́лать предложе́ние impf (délatʹ predložénije), сде́лать предложе́ние (ru) pf (sdélatʹ predložénije) (+ dative case); проси́ть руки́ impf (prosítʹ rukí), попроси́ть руки́ pf (poprosítʹ rukí) (+ genitive case or possessive pronoun, e.g. "попросить её руки")
• Spanish: pedir la mano, pedir matrimonio, proponer matrimonio
• Swedish: fria (sv)
• Turkish: evlenme teklif etmek

to intend

• Bulgarian: възнамерявам (bg) (vǎznamerjavam)
• Finnish: aikoa (fi)
• German: beabsichtigen (de)
• Greek: προτίθεμαι (el) (protíthemai)
• Hungarian: tervez (hu), szándékozik (hu), szándékszik (hu)
• Korean: 의도하다 (ko) (uido-hada)
• Persian: خواستن (fa) (xâstan)
• Polish: zamierzać (pl) impf
• Portuguese: pretender (pt)
• Turkish: niyet etmek (tr)

Noun

propose (plural proposes)

1. (obsolete) An objective or aim.
   • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 17, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:

     whose aime hath beene to make us not good and wittie, but wise and learned; She hath attained her propose.

Anagrams

• opposer, poopers

French

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Verb

propose

1. inflection of proposer:
   1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
   2. second-person singular imperative

Anagrams

• opposer

Italian

Verb

propose

1. third-person past historic of proporre

Anagrams

• propeso