Il condomino decide di astenersi.

Condomino refers to a person who owns a unit in a condominio and is therefore one of the co-owners of the shared building. In practice, in meeting or legal contexts, it often means a condo owner.

It is also a useful word to remember because it can be a false friend for English speakers: it has nothing to do with condom.

A related word is:

• condominio = condominium / apartment building with shared ownership

And note this distinction:

• condomino = condo owner / co-owner
• inquilino = tenant

In Italian, a singular countable noun usually needs an article when it is the subject of a sentence.

So:

• il condomino = the condo owner
• un condomino = a condo owner

A bare singular noun like condomino decide sounds unnatural or ungrammatical in standard Italian.

In some contexts, il condomino can also sound slightly general or legal, like the condo owner as a category.

Because decidere is commonly followed by di + infinitive when you say someone decides to do something.

Pattern:

• decidere di fare qualcosa = to decide to do something

So:

• decide di astenersi = decides to abstain

Compare:

• Decido di partire. = I decide to leave.
• Hanno deciso di aspettare. = They decided to wait.

So di is the normal connector here.

Because after decide, the next verb stays in the infinitive.

This works very much like English:

• decides to abstain

In Italian:

• decide di astenersi

So the structure is:

• conjugated verb: decide
• di
• infinitive: astenersi

If you conjugated the second verb too, you would need a different structure.

Astenersi is a pronominal verb, often treated like a reflexive-type verb in beginner grammar.

You should learn it as a whole unit:

• astenersi = to abstain / to refrain

The si is part of the verb’s normal form. It is not something you can just remove in ordinary usage.

Its meaning is not literally reflexive in the way lavarsi = to wash oneself is. It is better to think of astenersi as a set expression meaning to abstain or to refrain.

When Italian uses the infinitive of a reflexive or pronominal verb, the pronoun is attached to the end.

So:

• astenersi = to abstain
• lavarsi = to wash oneself
• svegliarsi = to wake up

But when the verb is conjugated, the pronoun normally goes before it:

• si astiene = he/she abstains
• si lava = he/she washes
• si sveglia = he/she wakes up

So:

• Il condomino decide di astenersi. = correct
• Il condomino si astiene. = also correct, but different structure
• decide di si astenere = incorrect

It is irregular, so learners often want to memorize the main forms:

• mi astengo = I abstain
• ti astieni = you abstain
• si astiene = he/she abstains
• ci asteniamo = we abstain
• vi astenete = you all abstain
• si astengono = they abstain

So if you wanted to say The condo owner abstains, you would say:

• Il condomino si astiene.

Yes, it is fairly formal or administrative in tone, especially in contexts like:

• meetings
• voting
• legal language
• official notices

So Il condomino decide di astenersi sounds like something you might read in meeting minutes or hear in a formal discussion.

In more everyday language, people might use a simpler phrase depending on the context, for example:

• decide di non votare = decides not to vote
• preferisce non intervenire = prefers not to speak/intervene
• evita di farlo = avoids doing it

Often, yes. When you specify what someone is abstaining from or refraining from, Italian commonly uses da or a contracted form such as dal, dalla, dagli, and so on.

For example:

• astenersi dal voto = to abstain from the vote
• astenersi dal fumare = to refrain from smoking
• astenersi da commenti offensivi = to refrain from offensive comments

In your sentence, the thing being abstained from is not stated, probably because the context already makes it clear.

So Il condomino decide di astenersi can stand on its own if everyone already knows what the abstention concerns.

Yes, very often that is the most natural interpretation, especially with a word like condomino, which suggests a condominium meeting or assembly.

In that kind of context, astenersi often means to abstain from voting.

If you want to make that explicit, Italian can say:

• Il condomino decide di astenersi dal voto.

Without dal voto, the sentence can still mean that, as long as the context is clear.

You would change the article, noun, and verb as needed.

Examples:

• La condomina decide di astenersi. = The female condo owner decides to abstain.
• I condomini decidono di astenersi. = The condo owners decide to abstain.
• Le condomine decidono di astenersi. = The female condo owners decide to abstain.

So the basic structure stays the same; only agreement changes.