Suggérions

Suggérions is the imperfect indicative form of the French verb suggérer, used with the subject nous to mean “we were suggesting” or “we used to suggest.” It describes past actions that were ongoing or habitual and is commonly found in narrative or descriptive passages.

Formation and pronunciation: the form is built from the stem suggér- plus the imperfect ending -ions. The acute accent on é is preserved to maintain the correct pronunciation before the -ions ending. Phonetically, it is typically pronounced roughly as [sy.ɡe.ʁjɔ̃].

Usage and distinction: as a simple past imperfect form, suggérions is distinct from the present conditional (nous suggérerions) and from the present subjunctive (que nous suggérions). The latter two forms exist in different contexts and would include the full -erions ending or require the conjunction que to indicate mood. In isolation, suggérions is most often understood as the imperfect indicative.

Examples: Nous suggérions des pistes alternatives pour améliorer le projet. Dans ce passage, l’imparfait décrit une action en cours dans le passé.

Etymology: suggérer derives from Old French suggérer, from Latin suggerere “to bring forth, to suggest,” with the modern form reflecting the stem suggestively altered through regular -er conjugation patterns.

See also: suggérer; conjugation of suggérer in other tenses and moods; the difference between imparfait, present conditional, and present subjunctive forms of suggérer.