Making Suggestions: "On pourrait..." and "Je suggère de..."

1. The Spectrum of Suggestion: From Brainstorming to Formal Recommendation

Making a suggestion isn't a one-size-fits-all action. The language you choose depends on your goal. Are you brainstorming with peers? Are you formally recommending a course of action to your manager? We'll explore phrases across this spectrum.

Let's start with the most collaborative and versatile forms of suggestion. These are perfect for team meetings where you want to propose an idea without sounding too directive.

The article from Talkpal provides an excellent overview of these expressions.

As you saw, On pourrait... is a cornerstone of collaborative problem-solving. It uses the pronoun on (we) and the conditional tense pourrait (could), making it inclusive and non-committal.

• On pourrait utiliser un autre framework pour ce module. (We could use another framework for this module.)
• Et si on refactorisait cette fonction avant de continuer ? (What if we refactored this function before continuing?)

For slightly more informal, yet very common suggestions, especially when addressing a colleague directly, you can use the expression Ça te dit de... ?.

In a tech context, you might hear:

• Ça te dirait de faire du pair programming sur ce ticket ? (Would you be up for doing some pair programming on this ticket?)
• Ça vous dirait d'organiser un PoC (Proof of Concept) la semaine prochaine ? (Would you all be interested in organizing a PoC next week?)

2. Making a Direct Proposal

Once the brainstorming is over and you want to put forward a clear, actionable solution, you need more direct language. This is where you shift from "we could" to "I propose."

The article from Talkpal and the PDF from Le Baobab Bleu introduce the key verbs for this.

Here are the key phrases for making a direct proposal:

• Je propose de + [infinitive]: I propose to...
  • Je propose d'adopter FastAPI pour ce nouveau microservice.
• Je suggère de + [infinitive]: I suggest to... (This is a very common alternative to Je propose de...)
  • Je suggère de commencer par une analyse de performance.
• Je vous recommande de + [infinitive]: I recommend that you...
  • Je vous recommande de mettre à jour la documentation.
• Je vous conseille de + [infinitive]: I advise you to...
  • Je vous conseille de vérifier les logs du serveur.

The choice between propose/suggère and recommande/conseille depends on your role. Je propose is about putting an idea on the table. Je recommande implies you are giving advice based on your expertise.

3. Making a Strong or Formal Recommendation

Sometimes, you need to convey a stronger sense of urgency or conviction, particularly when addressing risks or important architectural decisions. For this, you can use more formal, impersonal structures.

This next video uses excellent, relevant tech examples to illustrate these stronger forms of recommendation.

Let's combine these with another formal structure from the Talkpal article, Il serait judicieux de....

• Il vaut mieux utiliser une base de données NoSQL pour ce cas d'usage. (It's better to use a NoSQL database for this use case.)
• Il est fortement recommandé de ne pas exposer cette API publiquement. (It is strongly recommended not to expose this API publicly.)
• Il serait judicieux de faire une revue de sécurité avant le déploiement. (It would be wise to do a security review before deployment.)

This last phrase uses the conditional (serait), which adds a high degree of formality and politeness, making it very effective in professional writing and senior-level discussions.

4. Mise en Pratique: From Argument to Proposal

Let's return to the scenario from our last lesson. You've successfully argued that Python with FastAPI is a better choice than Java with Spring Boot for a new microservice. Your team lead is listening and says:

"D'accord, c'est un argument intéressant. Concrètement, qu'est-ce que tu proposes ?"

Your Mission:
Write a short, 2-3 sentence response in French. Your goal is to move from the general idea to a concrete, actionable plan. Try to use at least two different phrases from today's lesson, ideally showing a progression from a collaborative suggestion to a more direct recommendation.

Take a few minutes to formulate your response before reviewing the example below.

Exemple de Réponse :

Here is one possible way to respond:

"Eh bien, on pourrait commencer par un petit PoC (Proof of Concept) pour valider la performance en conditions réelles. Je propose de dédier deux jours la semaine prochaine pour construire un prototype. Il serait judicieux de documenter les résultats pour ensuite les partager avec les autres équipes."

This response is effective because it:

1. Starts with a collaborative, low-commitment suggestion (On pourrait...).
2. Follows up with a direct, specific action (Je propose de...).
3. Concludes with a formal recommendation that highlights the strategic value of the action (Il serait judicieux de...).

Conclusion

Fantastic work today! You have now learned the precise language to propose solutions and make recommendations, a critical skill for any software engineer or project manager who wants to influence technical decisions.

Key Takeaways:

• Choose Your Tool: Match your language to your context. Use On pourrait for collaborative brainstorming, Je propose/suggère de for direct proposals, and Il vaut mieux / Il serait judicieux de for strong, formal recommendations.
• Structure is Key: These phrases are most powerful when they follow a logical argument. First, you explain the why (last lesson), then you state the what and how (this lesson).
• Combine and Conquer: As shown in the practice exercise, you can combine different types of suggestions to guide your team from a general idea to a concrete action plan.

In our next lesson, we will address what often comes after a proposal: negotiation. You will learn how to "negotiate project scope or deadlines using polite and persuasive language," equipping you to handle the important discussions that determine a project's success.

À bientôt