X 决定 + Verb
Reach for this when someone has made up their mind to do something — 'X decides to V.' 决定 is the everyday verb for 'decide,' and the second verb slots in directly after it with no 要, no 去, no extra particle. It carries a flavor of resolve: the subject considered the options and committed. Use it for personal choices, business announcements, and news leads about institutions making moves.
Structure
[SUBJECT] 决定 [VERB PHRASE]
... juédìng ...
How to Think About It
决定 takes a verb directly — not a noun, not a 'that' clause. Where English allows 'decide that S V' or 'decide on N,' Chinese keeps it lean: the decision and the action collapse into one verb phrase. 决定 itself implies finality, so adding 要 ('want to') after it usually feels redundant. Reach for 决定 + V when the act of deciding is the news; reach for 想 + V when it's still wishful.
Examples
他决定去北京工作。
Tā juédìng qù Běijīng gōngzuò.
He decided to go to Beijing to work.
我决定不买那个手机。
Wǒ juédìng bù mǎi nàge shǒujī.
I decided not to buy that phone.
政府决定把这些文件公开。
Zhèngfǔ juédìng bǎ zhèxiē wénjiàn gōngkāi.
The government decided to make these documents public.
Common Mistake
Learners insert 要 between 决定 and the second verb, treating it like English 'decide to want to.' 决定 already contains the forward intent. 我决定要去 is mildly redundant in casual speech but sounds especially awkward in writing — just say 我决定去.
他决定要去北京工作。
他决定去北京工作。
Don't Confuse With
X 想 + Verb
'X wants to V.' Still a desire, not a commitment. Use 想 when the decision hasn't been made yet; use 决定 when it has.
X 打算 + Verb
'X plans to V.' Halfway between wanting and deciding — there's intention but the door's still slightly open. 决定 closes the door.
X 选择 + Verb
'X chooses to V.' Highlights the act of picking from options. 决定 emphasizes commitment; 选择 emphasizes selection.
Practice
我___定下个月搬家。
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决
她决___学中文。
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定
Put in order: [明天 / 决定 / 我 / 不 / 去 / 上班]
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我决定明天不去上班。
Translate to Chinese: 'They decided to try a new method.'
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他们决定试一个新方法。
Describe a decision you made this year using 决定 + Verb.
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Example: 我今年决定开始锻炼身体。 (I decided to start exercising this year.)
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode: