paraissons

Paraissons is the first-person plural present indicative form of the French verb paraître, meaning to appear or to seem. In the sense of publication, paraître can also mean to appear in print or to be published, so nous paraissons can refer to appearing or being published in a given context.

Etymology and grammar. Paraître is an irregular verb with the present tense forms zuits that include je parais, tu parais, il paraît, nous paraissons, vous paraissez, ils paraissent. The nous form paraissons preserves the characteristic -aiss- stem plus the normal -ons ending for the present tense. The verb’s sense spans appearance, perception of seeming, and publication, depending on context.

Usage notes. Paraissons is most often encountered in literary or formal prose when describing appearance or seeming, e.g., Nous paraissons fatigués, mais nous sommes en fait en forme. It can also express that something is published or released, e.g., Nous paraissons dans le prochain numéro de la revue. In everyday speech, speakers may opt for phrases like nous semblons or nous apparaissons depending on nuance.

Related terms and senses. Paraître is closely linked to the noun apparition and to verbs such as sembler (to seem) and apparaître (to appear). The distinction between appearance (perception) and publication (to appear in print) is central to using paraître correctly in different contexts.

See also. Paraître; apparaître; sembler.