Introduction

Decidir means “to decide”, and this page covers exactly one thing: decidir in the present tense. The present is the tense Portuguese speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly, what is true in general, and what is happening right now. On this page you will find the full present table for decidir, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the pretérito perfeito, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about decidir in the present. It means to decide, and it is completely regular: decido, decides, decide, decidimos, decidis, decidem. Its pretérito perfeito is decidi, decidiste, decidiu, and its participle is decidido. It can take an infinitive after it — decido ficar — or a noun. For example: “Ele decide ficar todos os dias.” — “He decides to stay.” Everything on this page uses the forms of decidir exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Decidir in the Present — full table

Person Form
eu decido
tu decides
ele/ela decide
nós decidimos
vós decidis
eles/elas decidem
Gerund: decidindo · Past participle: decidido
The gerund is decidindo, which you use with estar to say what is happening at the same time as the main action: “Decidindo ficar, aprendo muito.” — “While deciding to stay, I learn a lot.” The past participle is decidido, which you use with ter in the perfect tenses: tenho decidido is the pretérito perfeito composto, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present is only one part of how decidir is used.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for decidir, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

How the present of decidir is formed

The present tense of decidir has six forms: eu decido, tu decides, ele decide, nós decidimos, vós decidis, eles decidem. Say them in order — eu, tu, ele, nós, vós, eles — and notice which forms share a stem and which do not. decidir is regular: every form follows the standard -ir endings — -o, -as, -a, -amos, -ais, -am for -ar verbs; -o, -es, -e, -emos, -eis, -em for -er verbs; and -o, -es, -e, -imos, -is, -em for -ir verbs — so once you know the pattern you can build every tense from the stem. There are no surprises in any tense — the tables below are exactly what the endings predict. The present is the tense you will use most, so learn these six forms before you learn any other tense of this verb.

Two things about the present of decidir are worth noticing. First, the nós and vós forms are the anchor of the verb: the imperfect is built from the same stem, and the present subjunctive takes its nós and vós forms from the same stem, so learning decidimos and decidis pays off in three tenses at once. Second, the present is the tense Portuguese uses where English would often use the continuous form, so decido can mean both “I decide” and “I am deciding” — context tells the listener which one you mean.

Because decidir is regular in the present, the six forms follow the standard -ir endings exactly. Once you know the pattern for one regular -ir verb, you know it for all of them — only the stem changes. That is why the present of a regular verb is the cheapest tense to learn in the whole language.

When to use the present of decidir

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use decidir in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.

1. Habits and routines

The present tense is the tense of routine. When something happens every day, every week or every morning, the present is the natural choice, and decidir is no exception. Use time expressions such as todos os dias, sempre or todas as semanas to make the routine explicit. Example: “Eu decido ficar todos os dias.” — “I decide to stay.”

2. General truths

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about decidir does not need a time expression, because it is true whenever you say it. Example: “Ele decide ficar todos os dias.” — “He decides to stay.”

3. What is happening right now

The present also describes an action in progress at this very moment. Portuguese often prefers the simple present where English would use the continuous form, so a sentence with decidir in the present can mean both “I do this” and “I am doing this now”. Context tells the listener which one you mean. Example: “Nós decidimos ficar todos os dias.” — “We decide to stay.”

4. Scheduled future events

Portuguese uses the present for something already fixed in the near future, especially with a time expression. It sounds more certain than the future tense, because the plan is already made. Example: “Tu decides ficar todos os dias.” — “You decide to stay.”

5. Narration and commentary

In stories, instructions and live commentary, the present brings the action into the room. A recipe, a game or a story told in the present feels immediate, and decidir in the present is the tense that carries it. Example: “Eles decidem ficar todos os dias.” — “They decide to stay.”

Present Tense vs Pretérito Perfeito: how to choose

The closest tense to the present is the pretérito perfeito, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, general truths and what is happening now, while the pretérito perfeito describes one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is the time frame — and with it, the tense. Notice how the present sentences use words such as todos os dias or sempre, while the pretérito perfeito sentences use ontem or na semana passada. Those time words are your best clue when you are choosing a tense.

  • Present Tense: “Ele decide ficar todos os dias.” — “He decides to stay”
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Ele decidiu ficar ontem.” — “He decided to stay”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the pretérito perfeito sentence is one finished event. Todos os dias points to the present, ontem points to the pretérito perfeito.
  • Present Tense: “Eu decido ficar todos os dias.” — “I decide to stay”
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Eu decidi ficar ontem.” — “I decided to stay”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the pretérito perfeito sentence is one finished event. Todos os dias points to the present, ontem points to the pretérito perfeito.
  • Present Tense: “Tu decides ficar todos os dias.” — “You decide to stay”
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Tu decidiste ficar ontem.” — “You decided to stay”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the pretérito perfeito sentence is one finished event. Todos os dias points to the present, ontem points to the pretérito perfeito.

Example sentences: decidir in the present

Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions and the objects — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.

  1. “Eu decido ficar todos os dias.” — “I decide to stay”
  2. “Tu decides ficar todos os dias.” — “You decide to stay”
  3. “Ele decide ficar todos os dias.” — “He decides to stay”
  4. “Nós decidimos ficar todos os dias.” — “We decide to stay”
  5. “Vós decidis ficar todos os dias.” — “You decide to stay”
  6. “Eles decidem ficar todos os dias.” — “They decide to stay”
  7. “Eu decido ficar todos os dias.” — “I decide to stay”
  8. “Ele decide ficar todos os dias.” — “He decides to stay”

Common mistakes

These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.

  • Wrong: “Eu decides ficar.” Right: “Eu decido ficar todos os dias.” Why: The eu form is decido, not decides. decides is the tu form. Mixing the two persons is the most common error with this verb.
  • Wrong: “Nós decido ficar.” Right: “Nós decidimos ficar todos os dias.” Why: Nós needs the nós form decidimos. decido belongs with eu only. Learn the six forms as two groups — singular and plural — and the pattern becomes automatic.
  • Wrong: “Eu decido ficar todos os dias ontem.” Right: “Eu decidi ficar ontem.” Why: Ontem points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the pretérito perfeito decidi for a finished action yesterday.
  • Wrong: “Eu decidir ficar.” Right: “Eu decido ficar todos os dias.” Why: The infinitive decidir never takes a subject. After eu you need the conjugated form decido.

Quiz: test yourself

Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.

  1. What is the eu form of decidir in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) decides
    • B) decido
    • C) decide
    • D) decidimos

  2. What is the tu form of decidir in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) decido
    • B) decide
    • C) decides
    • D) decidimos

  3. What is the ele/ela form of decidir in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) decido
    • B) decides
    • C) decidimos
    • D) decide

  4. What is the nós form of decidir in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) decidimos
    • B) decido
    • C) decides
    • D) decide

  5. What is the vós form of decidir in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) decido
    • B) decidis
    • C) decides
    • D) decide

  6. What is the eles/elas form of decidir in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) decido
    • B) decides
    • C) decidem
    • D) decide

  7. What is the eu form of decidir in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) decides
    • B) decide
    • C) decidimos
    • D) decido

  8. What is the tu form of decidir in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) decides
    • B) decido
    • C) decide
    • D) decidimos

Answer key

  1. B) decido — the correct form is decido. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  2. C) decides — the correct form is decides. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  3. D) decide — the correct form is decide. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  4. A) decidimos — the correct form is decidimos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  5. B) decidis — the correct form is decidis. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  6. C) decidem — the correct form is decidem. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  7. D) decido — the correct form is decido. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  8. A) decides — the correct form is decides. The other options are other forms of the same verb.

Frequently asked questions

What does decidir mean in English?

decidir means “to decide”. It is a regular -ir verb.

How is the present tense of decidir formed?

The six present forms are: eu decido, tu decides, ele decide, nós decidimos, vós decidis, eles decidem. decidir is regular: every form follows the standard -ir endings, so once you know the pattern you can build every tense from the stem.

When do I use the present instead of the pretérito perfeito?

Use the present for habits, general truths and what is happening now. Use the pretérito perfeito for one finished action in the past. The time words are your best clue: todos os dias points to the present, ontem points to the pretérito perfeito.

What are the gerund and past participle of decidir?

The gerund is decidindo and the past participle is decidido.

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