建议 (jiànyì)

A suggestion or recommendation is a proposal put forward for someone else to consider, offered helpfully without the force of a command.

Meanings

[verb] to suggest; to recommend; to propose
[noun] suggestion; recommendation; proposal; advice

Example Sentences

我建议你在提交报告之前再仔细检查一遍。 Wǒ jiànyì nǐ zài tíjiāo bàogào zhīqián zài zǐxì jiǎnchá yībiàn. I suggest you carefully check it once more before submitting the report.

他的建议非常有建设性，值得认真考虑。 Tā de jiànyì fēicháng yǒu jiànshè xìng, zhídé rènzhēn kǎolǜ. His suggestions are very constructive and worth careful consideration.

委员会向政府提交了一份关于教育改革的建议书。 Wěiyuánhuì xiàng zhèngfǔ tíjiāo le yī fèn guānyú jiàoyù gǎigé de jiànyì shū. The committee submitted a proposal on education reform to the government.

欢迎大家积极提出意见和建议，帮助我们改进工作。 Huānyíng dàjiā jījí tíchū yìjiàn hé jiànyì, bāngzhù wǒmen gǎijìn gōngzuò. Everyone is welcome to actively offer opinions and suggestions to help us improve our work.

医生建议她每天至少进行三十分钟的有氧运动。 Yīshēng jiànyì tā měi tiān zhìshǎo jìnxíng sānshí fēnzhōng de yǒuyǎng yùndòng. The doctor recommended she do at least thirty minutes of aerobic exercise every day.

他采纳了顾问的建议，调整了公司的发展战略。 Tā cǎinàle gùwèn de jiànyì, tiáozhěngle gōngsī de fāzhǎn zhànlüè. He adopted the advisor's recommendation and adjusted the company's development strategy.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
提出建议 (tíchū jiànyì)	to put forward a suggestion
采纳建议 (cǎinà jiànyì)	to adopt a suggestion
建设性建议 (jiànshè xìng jiànyì)	constructive suggestion
政策建议 (zhèngcè jiànyì)	policy recommendation
接受建议 (jiēshòu jiànyì)	to accept a suggestion
建议书 (jiànyì shū)	written proposal/recommendation

Usage Notes

建议 functions as both a verb and a noun. As a verb, it is followed directly by a clause: 建议你去看医生 (I suggest you see a doctor). Note that unlike 让 or 叫, 建议 is polite and non-commanding. As a noun, 一条建议 (a piece of advice/suggestion) uses the measure word 条.

建议 is softer than 要求 (to demand) and more concrete than 意见 (opinion). In formal contexts such as committee reports or official communications, 建议 is the standard word for "recommendation."

Memory Hook

建 (to build/establish) + 议 (to discuss/propose) -- building an idea through discussion and offering it as a proposal to someone who can act on it.