entscheidest

Entscheidest is the second-person singular present tense form of the German verb entscheiden, meaning to decide or determine. It is used when addressing someone informally in the singular, for example in conversation or direct speech. The verb belongs to a common German verb family that yields the related noun Entscheidung (a decision) and the adjective entsprechend, among others. The prefix ent- in decides historically points to a sense of separation or selection, but in modern usage the core meaning remains choosing among options.

Usage and construction: entscheiden is transitive and typically takes a direct object, as in Was entscheidest du? or Welche Option entscheidest du? In many situations, speakers use the reflexive form sich entscheiden, meaning to decide for or against something, often followed by für or gegen, for example Du entscheidest dich für das grüne Hemd oder Du entscheidest dich gegen den Vorschlag. In everyday language, entscheiden can also appear with subordinate clauses, for instance Ich entscheide, ob wir gehen oder bleiben. The form entscheidest is most common in informal dialogue and narrative where the second-person singular is required by the pronoun du.

Related terms: Entscheidung refers to the act or result of deciding, while Entscheidungsprozess denotes the process of making a decision. The verb form decide is contrasted with entscheiden in contexts where a choice is being announced or discussed directly.

See also: entscheiden, Entscheidung, Entscheidungsprozess, sich entscheiden.