Paraîtrions

Paraîtrions is the first-person plural form of the French verb paraître in the conditional present. It corresponds to the meaning “we would appear” or “we would seem” and is used to express hypothetical or polite statements in agreement with the conditional mood.

Paraître is a versatile verb with several senses. It can mean to appear in a physical sense, to seem or give the impression of being, and in publication contexts it can mean to be published or to come out. The conditional form paraîtrions can be used across these senses when describing a hypothetical scenario or a cautious assertion about what might be seen or believed under certain conditions.

In terms of use, paraîtrions appears primarily in formal, literary, or hypothetic constructions. It is common in si clauses that pair the imparfait with the conditionnel présent in the main clause, for example: “Si nous paraissions plus confiants, nous paraîtrions plus convaincants” (If we appeared more confident, we would seem more convincing). The form can also appear in more tentative or diplomatic statements in discourse.

Conjugation notes: paraîtrions is the nous form of paraître in the conditionnel présent. Other forms of the same verb in the conditional présent are: je paraîtrais, tu paraîtrais, il paraîtrait, nous paraîtrions, vous paraîtriez, ils paraîtraient.

Examples:

- Nous paraîtrions plus confiants si nous avions plus de ressources.

- Si les résultats paraissent insuffisants, nous paraîtrions moins crédibles devant le comité.