Escolher vs. Decidir: Pick an Option or Make a Decision — Practice
A guided practice lesson with English explanations, Brazilian Portuguese examples, and answers you can check. Read the examples, recall the meaning, then say a version of your own.
Use escolher when selecting among options
Escolher means choose or select. It focuses on picking one person, item, or possibility from a set: escolher um prato, escolher entre duas datas.
Use escolher entre + options to name alternatives. You can also use escolher + noun when the choice is already clear.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Ainda não escolhi o prato. | I haven’t chosen the dish yet. |
| Você pode escolher entre café e chá. | You can choose between coffee and tea. |
| Ela escolheu a data mais conveniente. | She chose the most convenient date. |
Use decidir for reaching a conclusion or taking action
Decidir means decide or make up your mind. It focuses on settling what to do, whether or not the sentence names a list: decidir viajar, decidir o horário. It commonly appears with an infinitive when you name an action.
A decision may involve choosing an option, so the verbs can describe adjacent steps: decidir viajar e escolher o destino (decide to travel and choose the destination).
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Decidimos sair mais cedo. | We decided to leave earlier. |
| Ele ainda não decidiu o que vai fazer. | He hasn’t decided what he’s going to do yet. |
| Escolhi o voo e decidi comprar a passagem. | I chose the flight and decided to buy the ticket. |
Remember: Escolher highlights selecting an option; decidir highlights reaching a decision or settling what to do. Use them together when both steps matter.
Check your understanding
Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.
Recall the Portuguese, then say it
Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.
I haven’t chosen the dish yet.
Show a Portuguese answer
Ainda não escolhi o prato.
You can choose between coffee and tea.
Show a Portuguese answer
Você pode escolher entre café e chá.
She chose the most convenient date.
Show a Portuguese answer
Ela escolheu a data mais conveniente.
We decided to leave earlier.
Show a Portuguese answer
Decidimos sair mais cedo.
He hasn’t decided what he’s going to do yet.
Show a Portuguese answer
Ele ainda não decidiu o que vai fazer.
I chose the flight and decided to buy the ticket.
Show a Portuguese answer
Escolhi o voo e decidi comprar a passagem.
Make the phrase useful to you
Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.
Escolher highlights selecting an option; decidir highlights reaching a decision or settling what to do. Use them together when both steps matter.
Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.
Sources and your next lesson
This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our Escolher vs. Decidir: Pick an Option or Make a Decision? lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.
To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.
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