Décider Examples, Sentences & Quiz in French

décider — “to decide” — is one of the verbs you will use every day in French. On this page you will find décider in real sentences, grouped by meaning and tense, two short dialogues that show it in context, the mistakes learners actually make with it, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then test yourself. A first sentence to fix the verb in your memory: “Je décide de partir demain.” — “I decide to leave tomorrow.”

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for décider, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

Example sentences with décider

In the present tense

  • “Je décide de partir demain tous les jours.” — “I decide to leave tomorrow.”
  • “Tu décides de partir demain souvent.” — “You decide to leave tomorrow.”
  • “Il décide de partir demain chaque matin.” — “He decides to leave tomorrow.”
  • “Nous décidons de partir demain le week-end.” — “We decide to leave tomorrow.”

In the passé composé

  • “J'ai décidé de partir demain hier.” — “I have decided to leave tomorrow.”
  • “Tu as décidé de partir demain ce matin.” — “You have decided to leave tomorrow.”
  • “Il a décidé de partir demain la semaine dernière.” — “He has decided to leave tomorrow.”

In the imperfect and the future

  • “Je décidais de partir demain quand j’étais jeune.” — “When I was young, I used to decide to leave tomorrow.”
  • “Nous décidions de partir demain quand j’étais jeune.” — “We used to decide to leave tomorrow.”
  • “Tu décideras de partir demain demain.” — “You will decide to leave tomorrow tomorrow.”
  • “Ils décideront de partir demain demain.” — “They will decide to leave tomorrow tomorrow.”

In other tenses

  • “Je déciderais de partir demain si je pouvais.” — “I would decide to leave tomorrow if I could.”
  • “Il faut que je décide de partir demain.” — “It is important that I decide to leave tomorrow.”
  • “Décide de partir demain !” — “Decide to leave tomorrow!” The same verb in the pluperfect: “J'avais décidé de partir demain avant la fête.” — “I had decided to leave tomorrow before the party.”

All forms above come from the verified tables. The gerund is en décidant and the past participle is décidé; the perfect tenses use avoir + décidé, as in ai décidé.

Décider in context

Dialogue 1: every day

Marie and Paul talk about what they do every day. Notice how décider changes with the person, and how the passé composé appears when they talk about yesterday.

Marie: “Tu décides de partir demain tous les jours ?” — “You decide to leave tomorrow.” Paul: “Je décide de partir demain tous les jours.” — “I decide to leave tomorrow.” Marie: “Tu as décidé de partir demain hier ?” — “You have decided to leave tomorrow.” Paul: “J'ai décidé de partir demain hier.” — “I have decided to leave tomorrow.” Marie: “Nous déciderons de partir demain demain ?” — “We will decide to leave tomorrow tomorrow.” Paul: “Nous déciderons de partir demain demain.” — “We will decide to leave tomorrow tomorrow.”

Dialogue 2: making plans

Paul and Marie make plans for the weekend. The conditional appears for polite suggestions, and the imperative for a direct request.

Paul: “Je déciderais de partir demain si je pouvais.” — “I would decide to leave tomorrow if I could.” Marie: “Tu décides de partir demain souvent ?” — “You decide to leave tomorrow.” Paul: “Je décide de partir demain souvent.” — “I decide to leave tomorrow.” Marie: “Décide de partir demain !” — “Decide to leave tomorrow!” Paul: “Il faut que je décide de partir demain.” — “It is important that I decide to leave tomorrow.” Marie: “Nous avons décidé de partir demain hier.” — “We have decided to leave tomorrow.”

Read both dialogues aloud, changing the person each time: décide becomes décides, décides becomes décide, and so on. That is the fastest way to fix the six present forms — décide*, décides, décide, décidons, décidez, *décident — in memory.

Common mistakes with décider

Mistake 1: Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: “Je décider de partir demain.”

Right: “Je décide de partir demain.”

The infinitive décider never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated present form décide.

Mistake 2: Confusing décider with choisir

Wrong: “Je décide un livre à la librairie.” (meant as “choisir”)

Right: “Je décide de partir demain.”

décider means “to decide” and choisir means “to choose”. They appear in similar situations, but they are different actions — check the meaning before you choose the verb.

Mistake 3: Using être for the passé composé

Wrong: “Je suis décidé de partir demain.”

Right: “J'ai décidé de partir demain.”

With décider the passé composé is formed with avoir: ai décidé.

Mistake 4: Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger

Wrong: “Il faut que je décide de partir demain.”

Right: “Il faut que je décide de partir demain.”

After il faut que French needs the subjunctive: décide, not the indicative décide.

Mistake 5: Mixing up the persons

Wrong: “Tu décide de partir demain.”

Right: “Tu décides de partir demain.”

After tu you need décides, not the je form décide.

Quiz: décider in everyday use

  1. What is the je form of décider in the Present indicative?

    • A) décide
    • B) décidez
    • C) décidons
    • D) décides

  2. What is the ils/elles form of décider in the Present indicative?

    • A) décident
    • B) décidons
    • C) décide
    • D) décides

  3. What is the tu form of décider in the Present perfect (passé composé)?

    • A) avons décidé
    • B) avez décidé
    • C) ai décidé
    • D) as décidé

  4. What is the nous form of décider in the Imperfect?

    • A) décidaient
    • B) décidiez
    • C) décidais
    • D) décidions

  5. What is the il/elle form of décider in the Future?

    • A) déciderai
    • B) décidera
    • C) décideront
    • D) déciderons

  6. What is the je form of décider in the Conditional?

    • A) déciderait
    • B) décideraient
    • C) déciderais
    • D) déciderions

  7. What is the tu form of décider in the Present subjunctive?

    • A) décide
    • B) décident
    • C) décidions
    • D) décides

  8. What is the tu form of décider in the Imperative (affirmative)?

    • A) décide
    • B) décidez
    • C) déciderai
    • D) décidons

  9. What is the past participle of décider?

    • A) décidais
    • B) décidé
    • C) décide
    • D) en décidant

  10. What does décider mean in English?

  • A) to have
  • B) to decide
  • C) to be
  • D) to go

Answer key

  1. A) décide — the je form of décider in the present indicative is décide.
  2. A) décident — the ils/elles form of décider in the present indicative is décident.
  3. D) as décidé — the tu form of décider in the present perfect (passé composé) is as décidé.
  4. D) décidions — the nous form of décider in the imperfect is décidions.
  5. B) décidera — the il/elle form of décider in the future is décidera.
  6. C) déciderais — the je form of décider in the conditional is déciderais.
  7. D) décides — the tu form of décider in the present subjunctive is décides.
  8. A) décide — the tu form of décider in the imperative (affirmative) is décide.
  9. B) décidé — the past participle of décider is décidé; perfect tenses use avoir + décidé.
  10. B) to decide — décider means “to decide” in English.

Frequently asked questions

What does décider mean in English?

décider means “to decide”. You use it in everyday situations like the examples on this page — for example, “Je décide de partir demain.” (“I decide to leave tomorrow.”).

Which auxiliary does décider take in the passé composé?

décider takes avoir: ai décidé. Because the auxiliary is avoir, the participle normally stays invariable.

What is the hardest form of décider to remember?

Most learners struggle with keeping the six persons apart — décide*, décides, décide, décidons, décidez, *décident. Say them in order every day, and use the dialogues above to practise them in real sentences.

Where can I see the full conjugation of décider?

On the full conjugation page for décider, which has every tense, and on the décider present page, which goes deep on one tense.

Say it yourself

Cover the French sentences above and translate the English back into French. Start with the present tense: “I decide to leave tomorrow.” should become “Je décide de partir demain”. Then try the passé composé: “I have decided to leave tomorrow.” should become “J'ai décidé de partir demain”. Finally, try the future: “I will decide to leave tomorrow tomorrow.” should become “Je déciderai de partir demain”. If you get a form wrong, check it against the full conjugation page and say the correct form aloud three times before moving on.

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