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) project, forthput

   I propose going to see a film.

   to propose an alliance

   to propose a question for discussion

   • 2017 May 23, Gregory Krieg and Will Mullery, “Trump’s budget by the numbers: What gets cut and why”, in CNN‎^[1]:

     “The Budget proposes eliminating Supporting Effective Instruction (SEI) State Grants (Title II State grants), a program that provides formula funds to States to improve the quality and effectiveness of teachers, principals, and other schools leaders. SEI grants are poorly targeted and funds are spread too thinly to have a meaningful impact on student outcomes.

   • 2019, VOA Learning English (public domain)

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

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; republished as 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

• counterpropose
• prompose
• proposable
• proposal
• proposee
• propose marriage
• proposement
• repropose
• unproposing

Related terms

• proponent
• proposition

Translations

to suggest a plan or course of action

• Arabic: اِقْتَرَحَ (iqtaraḥa)
• Breton: kinnig (br)
• Bulgarian: предла́гам (bg) (predlágam)
• 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
• Māori: marohi, mārohirohi, whakatū, whakatū, taka mahara, taka whakaaro, taka mahara, taka whakaaro, uaki, whakatū, whakaari
• Naga:

  Khiamniungan Naga: chāi

• Norman: proposer
• Norwegian: foreslå (no)
• Old English: foresettan
• 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)
• Sami:

  Northern Sami: evttohit

• Scots: propone
• Spanish: proponer (es)
• Swedish: föreslå (sv)
• Thai: เสนอ (th) (sà-nə̌ə)
• Turkish: teklif etmek (tr)
• Vietnamese: đề nghị (vi) (提議), đề xuất (vi), gợi ý (vi)

to ask for someone's hand in marriage — see also ask for someone's hand in marriage

• Arabic: خَطَبَ (ḵaṭaba), طَلَبَ يَد (ṭalaba yad)
• Bulgarian: правя пердложение (pravja perdloženie)
• Cebuano: ^{(please verify)} pamalaye
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 求婚 (zh) (qiúhūn)

• Czech: požádat o ruku pf
• Danish: fri (da)
• Dutch: ten huwelijk vragen
• Esperanto: proponi geedziĝon
• 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)

• Naga:

  Khiamniungan Naga: chāi

• 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")
• Sami:

  Northern Sami: sogŋostallat

• Spanish: pedir la mano, pedir matrimonio, proponer matrimonio
• Swedish: fria (sv)
• Turkish: evlenme teklif etmek
• Vietnamese: cầu hôn (vi)

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)
• Naga:

  Khiamniungan Naga: chāi

• 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 (France (Lyon)):

  (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