Decidesse

Decidesse is a verb form in Italian. It is the third-person singular imperfect subjunctive (congiuntivo imperfetto) of the verb decidere, meaning to decide. In Italian, the imperfect subjunctive is used in dependent clauses after verbs of doubt, possibility, desire, emotion, or in hypothetical or non-real contexts.

Morphology and variants: decidere belongs to the -ere verbs, and its imperfect subjunctive has two commonly attested spellings for the third-person singular: decidesse and decidessi. Both forms are considered correct in standard Italian, with regional or stylistic preferences influencing which form is chosen. The root for these forms is decid-, to which the appropriate subjunctive ending is added.

Usage: decidesse/decidessi appears after verbs or expressions that require the subjunctive, typically following a conjunction such as se (if) or che (that). Examples include phrases like: Se decidesse di partire domani, dovremmo organizzare il viaggio, or Se decidessi di partire domani, dovremmo organizzare il viaggio. The imperfect subjunctive conveys hypothetical, unreal, or uncertain situations and is often paired with conditional main clauses to express a would-do outcome.

Notes: In contemporary spoken Italian, speakers sometimes favor more direct constructions and use the present subjunctive or conditional instead of the imperfect subjunctive. Nevertheless, decidesse (and decidessi) remain standard in formal writing and in literature. The form is part of the broader system of the Italian subjunctive mood, which also includes the present subjunctive and the past subjunctive.

See also: Italian subjunctive (congiuntivo), decidere, congiuntivo imperfetto, congiuntivo presente.