21 December 2025
How to make a Suggestion in German
It’s what you offer in a meeting, during a group chat, or over dinner when nobody knows what to do next. In German, that’s der Vorschlag. This is your German word of the day, and it’s key to any conversation where ideas are exchanged - formal or casual.
The noun Vorschlag means suggestion, proposal, or recommendation, and it’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German. Whether in a work meeting or casual conversation, you’ll hear it all the time when decisions need to be made.
It’s a masculine noun, so we say der Vorschlag (need help with gender once and for all? Our clear and quick video guide will sort it out: Watch the 5-minute video lesson on German noun genders).
Pronunciation
Vorschlag is pronounced [FOR-shlahk].
- The V sounds like an F,
- The o is long and steady; the following r varies by speaker,
- The sch is “sh”,
- And -lag sounds like “lahk” - a long a, and the final g is pronounced k
The word sounds firm and structured - just like a well-made proposal.
Example sentences:
Ich habe einen Vorschlag.I have a suggestion.
Der Vorschlag wurde angenommen.The proposal was accepted.
Nuance and usage tips
Vorschlag can be used in:
- Formal settings - meetings, politics, professional emails
- einen Vorschlag unterbreiten - to submit a proposal
- einen Vorschlag einreichen - to submit a suggestion
- Everyday life - conversations, plans, friendly decisions
- Hast du einen besseren Vorschlag? - Do you have a better idea?
It often appears with verbs like:
- machen - einen Vorschlag machen (to make a suggestion)
- annehmen / ablehnen - accept or reject a proposal
- übernehmen - to adopt someone’s suggestion
Also important: There’s a strong link to vorschlagen (verb: to suggest), which is separable: Ich schlage vor, dass wir früher anfangen. - I suggest we start earlier.
How does this word come up in real conversations?
Even as a beginner, Vorschlag is practical and polite when making decisions:
“Mein Vorschlag: Wir treffen uns um 18 Uhr.” - My suggestion: Let’s meet at 6 p.m.“Das ist nur ein Vorschlag.” - That’s just a suggestion.
It’s also helpful for group settings where you want to sound constructive but not pushy. Germans appreciate clear, respectful suggestions - and Vorschlag is the perfect tool for that.
Sample Dialogue (Beginner Level)
Tim: Was machen wir heute Abend?Jana: Ich habe einen Vorschlag. Kino?Tim: Klingt gut. Welcher Film läuft?Jana: Lass uns mal schauen!
Tim: What should we do this evening?Jana: I have a suggestion. Movie?Tim: Sounds good. What’s playing?Jana: Let’s take a look!
Grammatical case examples:
Nominative:Der Vorschlag war sehr sinnvoll.The suggestion was very reasonable.
Accusative:Ich habe den Vorschlag gestern gehört.I heard the proposal yesterday.
Dative:Mit dem Vorschlag bin ich einverstanden.I agree with the suggestion.
Genitive:Die Details des Vorschlags müssen noch diskutiert werden.The details of the suggestion still need to be discussed.
Masculine case pattern: der, den, dem, des
Word variations and language tidbits
Related words and expressions:
- Gegenvorschlag - counter-proposal
- Verbesserungsvorschlag - improvement suggestion
- Kompromissvorschlag - compromise offer
- Vorschlagsliste - list of nominees or suggestions
- Vorschlagsrecht - the right to make a proposal (e.g., in a legal or business setting)
In workplaces and schools, Vorschlag is often part of structured feedback or group decision-making culture.
📘 Duden entry: https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Vorschlag🎥 Learn Vorschlag and the rest of the top 1000 German nouns in our free online video course: Watch the 1000 German Nouns video course
Ready for more German words of the day? Do you know what Vorstellung means? How about Wagen? Find out!
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