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decidir

deh-see-DEER/de.siˈðiɾ/

“decidir” means “to decide” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

to decide, to determine

Also: to resolve
VerbA2regular ir
A small child stands at a fork in a road, pointing confidently down one of the paths, signifying a choice has been made.
infinitivedecidir
gerunddecidiendo
past Participledecidido

📝 In Action

Necesito decidir qué carrera universitaria voy a estudiar.

A2

I need to decide what university degree I am going to study.

El árbitro decidió que fue falta y pitó el penalti.

B1

The referee decided it was a foul and blew the whistle for the penalty.

¿Ya decidiste dónde quieres cenar esta noche?

A2

Have you decided where you want to have dinner tonight yet?

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • dudar (to doubt)
  • vacilar (to hesitate)

Common Collocations

  • decidir el futuro – to decide the future
  • decidir por mayoría – to decide by majority

to make up one's mind, to resolve to do something

Also: to bring oneself to do
VerbB1pronominal ir
A cartoon person holds a single, chosen item, smiling brightly, while two other discarded items lie on the ground, symbolizing a final resolution.
infinitivedecidirse
gerunddecidiéndose
past Participledecidido

📝 In Action

Después de pensarlo mucho, me decidí a aceptar el trabajo.

B1

After thinking about it a lot, I made up my mind to accept the job.

Ella no se decide a cortarse el pelo.

B2

She can't bring herself to cut her hair (She hasn't decided to cut her hair yet).

Si no te decides pronto, perderemos la oportunidad.

B1

If you don't make up your mind soon, we will lose the opportunity.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • atreverse (to dare)
  • determinarse (to determine oneself)

Common Collocations

  • decidirse a + infinitivo – to decide to do something
  • no decidirse nunca – to never make up one's mind

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/usteddecide
yodecido
túdecides
ellos/ellas/ustedesdeciden
nosotrosdecidimos
vosotrosdecidís

imperfect

él/ella/usteddecidía
yodecidía
túdecidías
ellos/ellas/ustedesdecidían
nosotrosdecidíamos
vosotrosdecidíais

preterite

él/ella/usteddecidió
yodecidí
túdecidiste
ellos/ellas/ustedesdecidieron
nosotrosdecidimos
vosotrosdecidisteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/usteddecida
yodecida
túdecidas
ellos/ellas/ustedesdecidan
nosotrosdecidamos
vosotrosdecidáis

imperfect

él/ella/usteddecidiera
yodecidiera
túdecidieras
ellos/ellas/ustedesdecidieran
nosotrosdecidiéramos
vosotrosdecidierais
View All Tenses & Moods →

🔀 Commonly Confused With

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "decidir" in Spanish:

to decide→to determine→to resolve→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: decidir

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'decidirse' (to make up one's mind)?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
la decisión(the decision) — Noun
decidido(determined / decided (adjective)) — Adjective
indecisión(indecision) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin verb *decīdere*, which means 'to cut off' or 'to cut short.' The root sense is about cutting off all other options, leaving only one final choice.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: decidePortuguese: decidirFrench: décider

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'decidir' always regular?

Yes, 'decidir' is a regular -ir verb in all tenses, making it easy to conjugate. It follows the standard pattern for verbs ending in -ir.

What is the difference between 'decidir' and 'resolver'?

'Decidir' means to make a choice between options. 'Resolver' means to solve a problem or settle a complicated matter. They are often interchangeable when discussing settling an issue, but 'decidir' is more common for personal choices.