sugerir
verbCEFR B1
What does “sugerir” mean in English?
1.to suggest a course of action
to suggest a course of action (sugerir que + subjunctive — diplomatic, softer than recomendar)
2.to suggest, to imply an interpretation
to suggest, to imply an interpretation (su actitud sugería que… — indicative, no volition)
Example sentences
Sugiero que empecemos por los puntos en los que estamos de acuerdo antes de abordar los conflictivos.
I suggest we start with the points we agree on before tackling the contentious ones.
Su manera de responder sugería que no estaba completamente de acuerdo con la decisión.
The way she responded suggested she didn't fully agree with the decision.
Le sugerí que hablara directamente con su jefa en vez de enviar un correo.
I suggested she speak directly with her manager instead of sending an email.
How to use it
Sugerir means 'to suggest' and has two main senses. (1) To suggest a course of action: sugerir a alguien que + subjunctive (softer than recomendar, good for floating ideas). (2) To suggest an interpretation or evoke something: 'Su tono de voz sugería que estaba molesto'. Stem-changing: e→ie in the present (sugiero) and e→i in the gerund and third-person preterite (sugiriendo, sugirió). Note: slightly less direct than recomendar, often used in collaborative/diplomatic registers.
Common mistake
Sugerir que for sense 1 (course of action) always triggers subjunctive: *'Sugiero que hablamos primero' is wrong — use 'Sugiero que hablemos primero'. Sense 2 (suggest/imply an interpretation) uses indicative because it is not a volition trigger. The two senses have different syntactic consequences — identify which you mean before choosing the mood.