decidimos

Decidimos is the first-person plural form of the Spanish verb decidir. It can correspond to either the present indicative “we decide” or the preterite (simple past) “we decided,” depending on the context. The form is used with the subject nosotros or nosotras, and the subject pronoun is often omitted in Spanish.

Etymology: Decidir comes from Latin decidere, formed from de- “off” or “away” plus caedere “to cut,” a metaphorical development from choosing by cutting off alternatives. The form decidimos inherits the same stem decid-.

Usage: In the present tense, decidimos conveys current decision making, as in “Hoy decidimos ir al cine.” In the preterite, it narrates a completed decision, as in “Ayer decidimos ir al cine.” Because the spelling is identical for both tenses, time indicators or context are used to clarify the intended meaning.

Grammatical notes: Decidir is a regular -ir verb, and decidimos is the 1st person plural form. The potential ambiguity with present versus preterite is typically resolved through temporal adverbs or surrounding context.

See also: Decisión, decidir, toma de decisiones, gramática española.