The preterite tense in Spanish is used to describe actions that have already been completed. Unlike the imperfect tense, which describes ongoing or habitual actions, the preterite focuses on specific events that happened at a definite point in the past.
The verb decidir (to decide) is a super common verb in Spanish. You’ll use it all the time in everyday conversation and writing. So, it’s important to know how to conjugate it correctly.
This guide is designed to give you a clear understanding of how to conjugate and use decidir in the preterite. You’ll learn all about the preterite of decidir.
Conjugation of decidir in the preterite
So, how do you conjugate decidir in the preterite? Well, it helps to know that decidir is a regular -ir verb.
In Spanish, regular verbs follow a predictable pattern of conjugation, while irregular verbs… don’t. You just have to memorize those irregular forms!
Once you know whether a verb is regular or irregular, it’s just a matter of knowing which ending to use in each tense. For the preterite tense, regular -ir verbs take these endings:
- yo: -í
- tú: -iste
- él/ella/usted: -ió
- nosotros: -imos
- vosotros: -isteis
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: -ieron
So, when we add those endings to the verb stem decid- we get:
- yo decidí (I decided)
- tú decidiste (you decided)
- él/ella/usted decidió (he/she/you formal decided)
- nosotros decidimos (we decided)
- vosotros decidisteis (you all decided – Spain)
- ellos/ellas/ustedes decidieron (they/you all decided)
Note that in the yo and él/ella/usted forms, the stress usually falls on the last syllable of the verb stem: decidí, decidió.
Uses of decidir in the preterite
The preterite tense of decidir describes specific decisions that were made and completed in the past. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you use it.
Expressing completed decisions
The preterite emphasizes the finality and completion of the decision. For instance:
- Yo decidí comprar un coche nuevo. (I decided to buy a new car.)
Specific time frame
The preterite of decidir often appears with time expressions that tell you when the decision was made, such as ayer (yesterday), la semana pasada (last week), or el año pasado (last year). For example:
- Ella decidió renunciar a su trabajo ayer. (She decided to quit her job yesterday.)
Single, completed actions
The preterite focuses on a single, completed act of deciding. This is different from the imperfect tense, which describes actions that were habitual or ongoing.
Examples in context
Here are some more examples of decidir in the preterite, used in different contexts:
- Nosotros decidimos ir a España de vacaciones. (We decided to go to Spain on vacation.)
- Ellos decidieron invertir en la bolsa. (They decided to invest in the stock market.)
Common phrases and expressions with decidir in the preterite
The preterite form of decidir shows up in lots of common Spanish phrases. Here are a few you’re likely to hear:
Decidir + Infinitive
Often, you’ll see decidir followed by an infinitive. This is a way of saying what someone decided to do. For example:
- Decidí estudiar español. (I decided to study Spanish.)
- Ella decidió vender su coche. (She decided to sell her car.)
- Nosotros decidimos ir a la playa. (We decided to go to the beach.)
Decidirse a + Infinitive
The reflexive form, decidirse, means “to make up one’s mind.” Here’s how it looks in the preterite:
- me decidí
- te decidiste
- se decidió
- nos decidimos
- os decidisteis
- se decidieron
And here are some examples of it in action:
- Me decidí a aprender a bailar salsa. (I made up my mind to learn to dance salsa.)
- ¿Te decidiste a comprar la casa? (Did you make up your mind to buy the house?)
Decidir que + Subjunctive/Indicative
Whether you use the subjunctive or indicative after decidir que depends on how certain the outcome is. If you’re stating a fact, use the indicative. If you’re expressing doubt or uncertainty, go with the subjunctive.
Other Common Collocations
Here are a few other ways you might see decidir used:
- Decidí por mí mismo/misma (I decided for myself)
- Decidimos juntos (We decided together)
Potential difficulties and common mistakes
Even after memorizing the preterite conjugations of decidir, you might still run into some snags. Here are a few common errors to watch out for.
Confusing preterite with imperfect
It’s easy to mix up the preterite and imperfect tenses. The preterite is for actions that were completed at a specific point in the past, whereas the imperfect is for ongoing or habitual actions. For example, it’s incorrect to say “Yo decidía ir a la playa todos los veranos” (I decided to go to the beach every summer). The correct phrasing would be “Yo decidí ir a la playa un verano” (I decided to go to the beach one summer).
Subject-verb agreement
As always in Spanish, make sure the verb agrees with the subject. For instance, it’s incorrect to say “Ellos decidí ir” (They I decided to go). The correct phrase is “Ellos decidieron ir” (They decided to go).
Using the correct preposition
Make sure you use the right preposition after decidir. You can say “decidir + infinitive,” as in “decidí estudiar español” (I decided to study Spanish). Or, you can say “decidirse a + infinitive,” as in “Me decidí a aprender español” (I decided to learn Spanish).
Conclusion
In this article, we took a deep dive into the preterite conjugation of the Spanish verb decidir, which means “to decide.” We saw how decidir changes depending on who is doing the deciding, and we talked about the most common situations where you’d use the preterite tense to talk about decisions that were made and completed in the past.
Now that you know how to conjugate decidir in the preterite, the best way to remember it is to practice! Try writing out sentences or even having conversations (real or imagined) where you use the different forms of the verb.
Mastering the preterite tense is essential for communicating effectively in Spanish. The more comfortable you are with it, the easier it will be to tell stories, describe past events, and express your ideas with clarity and confidence. ¡Buena suerte!