Decidir Conjugation in Spanish
decidir means "to decide" in English, and it is one of the Spanish verbs you will use again and again in everyday conversation. It is used for making decisions — about a job, a trip, a date, a purchase or any choice that needs a firm answer, which makes it a practical verb to learn early and to use confidently. This page gives you the complete conjugation of decidir in every tense and mood — present, preterite, imperfect, future, conditional, the four perfect tenses, both subjunctive tenses and the imperative — with all six persons, plus the gerund and the past participle. Every form below comes from VerbFlow's verified conjugation tables, so you can trust the accents and the irregular forms. Decidir is a regular -ir verb verb, and the notes under each tense explain exactly where it follows the rules and where it breaks them. To hear it in a real sentence: Yo decido la fecha de la boda este mes. — "I decide the date of the wedding this month.". Work through the tables, read the notes, then test yourself with the quiz at the end of the page.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: decidir
- English: to decide
- Verb type: Regular -ir verb
- Gerund: decidiendo
- Past participle: decidido
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all compound tenses use haber + decidido)
Full conjugation table
Every tense of decidir with all six persons. The gerund is decidiendo and the past participle is decidido.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | decido |
| tú | decides |
| él/ella/Ud. | decide |
| nosotros/as | decidimos |
| vosotros/as | decidís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | deciden |
Preterite (past)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | decidí |
| tú | decidiste |
| él/ella/Ud. | decidió |
| nosotros/as | decidimos |
| vosotros/as | decidisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | decidieron |
Imperfect (past)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | decidía |
| tú | decidías |
| él/ella/Ud. | decidía |
| nosotros/as | decidíamos |
| vosotros/as | decidíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | decidían |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | decidiré |
| tú | decidirás |
| él/ella/Ud. | decidirá |
| nosotros/as | decidiremos |
| vosotros/as | decidiréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | decidirán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | decidiría |
| tú | decidirías |
| él/ella/Ud. | decidiría |
| nosotros/as | decidiríamos |
| vosotros/as | decidiríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | decidirían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he decidido |
| tú | has decidido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha decidido |
| nosotros/as | hemos decidido |
| vosotros/as | habéis decidido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han decidido |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había decidido |
| tú | habías decidido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había decidido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos decidido |
| vosotros/as | habíais decidido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían decidido |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré decidido |
| tú | habrás decidido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá decidido |
| nosotros/as | habremos decidido |
| vosotros/as | habréis decidido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán decidido |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría decidido |
| tú | habrías decidido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría decidido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos decidido |
| vosotros/as | habríais decidido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían decidido |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | decida |
| tú | decidas |
| él/ella/Ud. | decida |
| nosotros/as | decidamos |
| vosotros/as | decidáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | decidan |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | decidiera |
| tú | decidieras |
| él/ella/Ud. | decidiera |
| nosotros/as | decidiéramos |
| vosotros/as | decidierais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | decidieran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | decide |
| él/ella/Ud. | decida |
| nosotros/as | decidamos |
| vosotros/as | decidid |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | decidan |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | decidas |
| él/ella/Ud. | decida |
| nosotros/as | decidamos |
| vosotros/as | decidáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | decidan |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Gerund | decidiendo |
| Past participle | decidido |
How to use each tense
Each tense below explains when to use it with decidir, with one example sentence. The example forms are taken from the tables above.
Present indicative
The present tense talks about what happens now, habits, routines and general truths. It is the first tense every learner needs, because it covers daily life: what you do, what you like, where you live. For most verbs the present is also the base for the present subjunctive, so learning it well pays off twice.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Yo decido la fecha.
Preterite (past)
The preterite talks about finished actions in the past — things that started and ended at a specific moment. Use it for events, for what happened yesterday, last year, or at a particular time. It answers the question "what happened?" and it is the tense of stories told as a sequence of events.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Ayer yo decidí la fecha.
Imperfect (past)
The imperfect talks about the past as background: habits, repeated actions, descriptions, and things that were in progress when something else happened. Use it for "used to", for setting a scene, and for age, time and weather in the past. It answers "what was going on?" rather than "what happened?".
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: En aquella época, yo decidía la fecha.
Future
The future tense talks about what will happen: plans, predictions and promises. In everyday speech Spanish speakers often use "ir a + infinitive" instead, but the future tense is essential for formal writing, for promises, and for guessing about the present ("¿Dónde estará?").
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Mañana yo decidiré la fecha.
Conditional
The conditional talks about what would happen: hypothetical situations, polite requests, and advice. It pairs with the imperfect subjunctive in "if" sentences ("Si pudiera, lo haría"). It is also the polite way to ask for things and to soften opinions.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Yo decidiría la fecha si pudiera.
Present perfect
The present perfect (haber + past participle) talks about the recent past and about experience: what you have done, what has just happened, what you have never tried. It connects the past to the present moment, so it often appears with "hoy", "esta semana", "ya" and "todavía no".
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Yo ya he decidido la fecha.
Pluperfect
The pluperfect (había + past participle) talks about the past before the past: what had already happened when something else happened. Use it to order two past events — the pluperfect one comes first in time. It appears constantly in stories and explanations.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Yo ya había decidido la fecha antes.
Future perfect
The future perfect (habré + past participle) talks about something that will already be finished by a future moment: "Para mañana ya habré terminado". It is also used to guess about the past: "¿Dónde habrá ido?". It is less common in speech but regular in writing.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Para mañana yo ya habré decidido la fecha.
Conditional perfect
The conditional perfect (habría + past participle) talks about what would have happened: the past of the conditional. It appears in "if" sentences about a past that did not happen ("Si hubiera sabido, habría venido") and in polite regrets and reproaches.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Yo habría decidido la fecha si hubiera podido.
Present subjunctive
The present subjunctive is the mood of wishes, doubts, emotions and influence: what you want, hope, doubt or demand. It appears after "quiero que", "espero que", "es posible que", "ojalá" and after verbs of emotion and doubt. It never stands alone — a trigger in the main clause calls for it.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Espero que él decida la fecha.
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
The imperfect subjunctive is the past of the subjunctive: it follows past-tense triggers ("Quería que vinieras") and it is the tense of "if" clauses about unlikely or impossible situations ("Si tuviera dinero, viajaría"). The -ra forms shown here are the standard ones; -se forms exist too but -ra is far more common in speech.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Si él decidiera la fecha, sería perfecto.
Imperative (affirmative)
Affirmative commands tell someone to do something: "¡Ven aquí!", "¡Siéntate!". The tú and vosotros forms are the ones you will use most, and they are also the ones that break the regular pattern most often — the tú affirmative command comes from the él/ella present form, not from the infinitive.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: ¡Decide la fecha!
Imperative (negative)
Negative commands tell someone not to do something: "¡No hables!", "¡No te vayas!". Unlike affirmative commands, negative commands always use the subjunctive forms, for every person. If you know the present subjunctive, you already know the negative imperative.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: No decidas la fecha.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with decidir, covering different tenses and persons. Read the Spanish first, then check the English.
- Yo decido la fecha de la boda este mes. — "I decide the date of the wedding this month."
- ¿Tú ya has decidido qué vas a estudiar? — "Have you already decided what you are going to study?"
- Ella decidió cambiar de trabajo en enero. — "She decided to change jobs in January."
- Nosotros decidíamos todo en familia cuando éramos niños. — "We decided everything as a family when we were children."
- Mañana decidiré si acepto la oferta. — "Tomorrow I will decide whether I accept the offer."
- Yo decidiría viajar si tuviera más dinero. — "I would decide to travel if I had more money."
- Es importante que tú decidas pronto. — "It is important that you decide soon."
- ¡decide ya, no esperes más! — "Decide now, don't wait any longer!"
Common mistakes
The errors learners actually make with decidir — and how to fix them.
- Wrong: *Yo decidí la fecha ayer — learners often drop the accent and write decidi. → Right: Yo decidí la fecha ayer.. The preterite yo form is decidí, with an accent on the final i. Decidir is regular, but the accent is part of the spelling.
- Wrong: *Espero que tú decides pronto. → Right: Espero que tú decidas pronto.. After espero que, Spanish requires the subjunctive: decidas, not the present indicative decides.
- Wrong: *Nosotros decidimos la fecha — wait, that one is correct; the common error is decidemos in the present. → Right: Nosotros decidimos la fecha.. Decidir is a regular -ir verb, so the present nosotros form is decidimos, not decidemos. The -ir ending is -imos.
- Wrong: *Si yo decidiría, viajaría. → Right: Si yo pudiera, decidiría viajar.. In an if-sentence, the si-clause takes the imperfect subjunctive, never the conditional. The conditional goes in the result clause.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on decidir. Answers are at the end, with a short explanation for each.
What is the yo form of decidir in the present indicative?
- a) decidimos
- b) decides
- c) decide
- d) decido
What is the él/ella/Ud. form of decidir in the preterite (past)?
- a) decidiste
- b) decidí
- c) decidió
- d) decidimos
What is the nosotros/as form of decidir in the imperfect (past)?
- a) decidías
- b) decidía
- c) decidía
- d) decidíamos
What is the tú form of decidir in the future?
- a) decidirá
- b) decidiremos
- c) decidiré
- d) decidirás
What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of decidir in the conditional?
- a) decidiría
- b) decidirías
- c) decidirían
- d) decidiría
What is the yo form of decidir in the present subjunctive?
- a) decidas
- b) decida
- c) decidamos
- d) decida
What is the gerund of decidir?
- a) decidir
- b) decidido
- c) decidiendo
- d) decide
What is the past participle of decidir?
- a) decidiendo
- b) he decidido
- c) decidido
- d) decido
What does decidir mean in English?
- a) to get worse
- b) to choose, to elect
- c) to decide
- d) to play (an instrument), to touch
The form decidí belongs to which tense?
- a) Imperfect
- b) Present
- c) Preterite
- d) Future
Answer key
- decido — The yo form in the present indicative is decido — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- decidió — The él/ella/Ud. form in the preterite (past) is decidió — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- decidíamos — The nosotros/as form in the imperfect (past) is decidíamos — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- decidirás — The tú form in the future is decidirás — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- decidirían — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form in the conditional is decidirían — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- decida — The yo form in the present subjunctive is decida — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- decidiendo — The gerund is decidiendo — it is the form used with estar for the progressive (estoy decidiendo). The past participle is decidido.
- decidido — The past participle is decidido — it is the form used after haber in the perfect tenses (he decidido).
- to decide — decidir means "to decide".
- Preterite — decidí is the yo form of the preterite of decidir — a finished past action. The imperfect yo form is decidía.
Frequently asked questions
Is decidir regular?
Yes, decidir is a completely regular -ir verb. Every form follows the standard -ir endings: decido, decides, decide, decidimos, decidís, deciden, and the preterite decidí, decidiste, decidió. There are no stem changes and no spelling changes.
Does decidir need a preposition?
Decidir can take a direct object (decidir la fecha) or an infinitive (decidir viajar). When you decide about something, use decidir + infinitive or decidirse por + noun: Me decidí por la casa azul.
What is the difference between decidir and elegir?
Elegir means to pick one option from several, while decidir means to make the decision itself. You decide (decidir) that you will travel, and you choose (elegir) the destination. In practice they often overlap, and decidir is the more general verb.
How do you say "I have decided" in Spanish?
Yo he decidido — the present perfect of decidir, with the regular participle decidido. For example: Ya he decidido la fecha de la boda.
Related pages
- Decidir in the present tense — the present tense of decidir in depth, with its own examples and quiz.
- Decidir examples and quiz — more everyday sentences with decidir and a second quiz.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub: every verb, every tense guide and every tool in one place.
- Elegir conjugation — another verb in the same family as decidir.
- Pensar conjugation — another verb in the same family as decidir.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — practise decidir with this tool.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — practise decidir with this tool.
- Present tense guide — how the present tense works for regular and irregular verbs.