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Conjugation Chart

“Decidir” (to decide) in the Imperfect Tense

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Understanding the Imperfect Tense of “Decidir”

The Imperfect Tense of Decidir is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example: Yo decidía qué hacer cada mañana. (I used to decide what to do each morning.)

Decidir is a regular -ir verb, so its Imperfect conjugations follow the typical pattern for that verb type.

How to Use Decidir in the Imperfect Tense

The imperfect tense of decidir is used to describe ongoing, repeated or habitual actions in the past.

Expressing an ongoing action in the past: For example, Decidía estudiar más para aprobar el examen. (I was deciding to study more to pass the exam.)

Describing a repeated or habitual action: For example, Cada verano, decidía viajar a la playa. (Every summer, I used to decide to travel to the beach.)

Expressing a state of mind or emotion in the past: For example, No decidía qué camino tomar en la vida. (I couldn’t decide which path to take in life.)

Describing a background action or setting the scene: For example, Mientras decidía qué pedir, el mesero se acercó. (While I was deciding what to order, the waiter approached.)

Expressing a polite request or suggestion (colloquial): For example, ¿Decidías acompañarme al cine? (Would you decide to accompany me to the movies?)

Real Life Examples of Decidir in the Imperfect Tense

Yo decidía qué ruta tomar para llegar al trabajo. (I used to decide which route to take to get to work.)

Ellos decidían a dónde ir de vacaciones cada año. (They used to decide where to go on vacation every year.)

Nosotros decidíamos qué película ver los viernes por la noche. (We used to decide which movie to watch on Friday nights.)

Tú decidías si querías salir o quedarte en casa. (You used to decide whether you wanted to go out or stay home.)

Ella decidía qué plato pedir en el restaurante. (She used to decide what dish to order at the restaurant.)

Él decidía cuándo era el mejor momento para hablar con su jefe. (He used to decide when was the best time to talk to his boss.)

Ustedes decidían a qué parque ir a caminar los domingos. (You all used to decide which park to go for a walk on Sundays.)

Yo decidía si valía la pena comprar algo o no. (I used to decide whether it was worth buying something or not.)

Ellas decidían qué actividades hacer en su tiempo libre. (They used to decide what activities to do in their free time.)

Nosotros decidíamos cuánto dinero ahorrar cada mes. (We used to decide how much money to save each month.)

Tú decidías si querías seguir estudiando o buscar un trabajo. (You used to decide whether you wanted to continue studying or look for a job.)

Él decidía cuándo era el mejor momento para pedir un aumento de sueldo. (He used to decide when was the best time to ask for a raise.)

Ustedes decidían a qué restaurante ir a celebrar los cumpleaños. (You all used to decide which restaurant to go to celebrate birthdays.)

Yo decidía si valía la pena arriesgarse o no. (I used to decide whether it was worth taking the risk or not.)

Ellos decidían qué regalos comprar para sus seres queridos. (They used to decide what gifts to buy for their loved ones.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Decidir (to decide) in the Imperfect Tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Imperfect tense is also known as the Past Imperfect, Descriptive Past, Past Progressive, or Imperfect Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Imperfecto, Copretérito, Imperfecto de Indicativo, or Pasado Descriptivo in Spanish.