discutieron

Discutieron is a Spanish verb form that appears as the pretérito perfecto simple (simple past) of the verb discutir in the third person plural. It can translate as they discussed or they argued, depending on context. In regions where the pronoun ustedes is used in the second person, they also use the same form, so "discutieron" may refer to ustedes discutieron.

Etymology and meaning: discutir comes from Latin discutere, combining dis- (apart, thoroughly) with quatere (to shake). The verb covers both examining a topic in depth and having an argument about it. The meaning shifts with context and its complements, so it can indicate a neutral discussion or a more confrontational dispute.

Conjugation and usage: discutir is a regular -ir verb in the pretérito simple. The full conjugation in that tense is: yo discutí, tú discutiste, él/ella discutió, nosotros discutimos, vosotros discutisteis, ellos/ellas discutieron. The form discussed here, discutieron, is used when the subject is a group. It commonly appears with direct objects or prepositional phrases, such as "discutieron la propuesta," "discutieron sobre la propuesta," or "discutieron con el director."

Examples and nuance: "Los investigadores discutieron la evidencia." (They discussed the evidence.) "Se discutió mucho durante la reunión" can imply a heated exchange, though it depends on tone and context. The word is versatile but can carry a stronger sense of conflicto versus simple deliberation depending on context.