decidi

Decidi is a form of the Italian verb decidere, meaning to decide. Specifically, it is the second-person singular present indicative form, as in you decide. It is also used as the informal second-person singular imperative, meaning the command or instruction to decide, as in Decidi! (Decide!). In standard Italian, other present indicative forms of decidere include decido, decidiamo, decidete, decidono, and the other person forms follow regular -ere verb patterns.

Etymology and meaning: decidere comes from Latin decidere, formed from de- meaning down or off and caedere meaning to cut. The original sense was “to cut off options,” which evolved into the more general sense of making a choice or deciding. The ascent from a physical metaphor to a cognitive one is common in Romance language verbs dealing with choice and determination.

Usage: Decidi appears in everyday speech to express a choice or to urge someone to make a decision. It is used with or without objects, and it often appears with modal or infinitive phrases such as decidere di fare qualcosa (“to decide to do something”). Examples: Tu decidi sempre da solo. Io decido se restare o partire. Decidi subito; il tempo stringe. The form is highly common and interchangeable with related structures that convey decision-making, timing, and determination.

Related terms: decidere (to decide), decisione (decision), decisione if referring to the act itself. See also conjugation patterns for -ere verbs in Italian.

Note: In written Italian, diacritics are not used on this form; pronunciation guides vary by dialect, but the standard form stresses the middle syllable.