Questa decisione riguarda il governo.

Because decisione is a feminine singular noun, and questa must agree with it.

• questo = this (masculine singular)
• questa = this (feminine singular)

So:

• questa decisione = this decision

If the noun were masculine, you would use questo, for example:

• questo problema = this problem

In Italian, decisione is a feminine noun: la decisione.

A useful pattern is that many nouns ending in -zione / -sione / -ione are feminine:

• la decisione
• la nazione
• la situazione
• la televisione

So even though English decision does not show gender, in Italian you must learn it as la decisione.

Here, riguarda means concerns, is about, or sometimes affects, depending on context.

So Questa decisione riguarda il governo can be understood as:

• This decision concerns the government.
• This decision is about the government.
• This decision affects the government.

The exact English choice depends on the situation, but concerns is often the safest match.

The base form is riguardare.

riguarda is the third person singular form in the present tense, used with a singular subject such as questa decisione.

Conjugation in the present:

• io riguardo = I concern / I look again at / I regard
• tu riguardi
• lui/lei riguarda = he/she/it concerns
• noi riguardiamo
• voi riguardate
• loro riguardano

Since questa decisione is singular, Italian uses riguarda.

Because riguardare normally takes a direct object in Italian.

So Italian says:

• riguarda il governo

not:

• riguarda di il governo
• riguarda a il governo

This is important because English often uses a preposition in similar expressions, such as is about. Italian does not do that here.

Compare:

• Il problema riguarda tutti. = The problem concerns everyone.
• La questione riguarda me. = The issue concerns me.

Italian uses definite articles more often than English does. Here il governo means the government, and the article is required.

So:

• il governo = the government

Without the article, governo would usually sound incomplete or unnatural in this sentence.

This is very common in Italian:

• la scuola = school / the school
• il tempo = time / the weather
• il governo = the government

Yes. That is one reason this verb is very useful.

Depending on context, riguardare can mean:

• to concern
• to be about
• to affect
• sometimes to relate to

For example:

• Questo libro riguarda la storia d’Italia. = This book is about Italian history.
• La nuova legge riguarda i lavoratori. = The new law concerns / affects workers.

So in your sentence, the meaning could shift slightly depending on the context.

No, this is a very standard Italian word order:

subject + verb + object

• Questa decisione = subject
• riguarda = verb
• il governo = object

So the sentence is structurally very straightforward.

Italian can sometimes change word order for emphasis, but this version is the neutral, normal one.

Yes, but concerne is generally more formal or less common in everyday speech than riguarda.

Both are possible:

• Questa decisione riguarda il governo.
• Questa decisione concerne il governo.

For most learners, riguardare is the more useful and more common verb to learn first.

Usually, yes, but the exact meaning can vary slightly with context.

il governo can refer to:

• the government as an institution
• the current administration
• the governing body of a country

So in this sentence, it could mean:

• the government in general
• the specific people currently in power

Context tells you which one is meant.

A helpful approximation is:

KWEH-sta dee-chee-ZYOH-neh

A few pronunciation notes:

• qu in questa sounds like kw
• sc is not present here, so no special issue
• ci in decisione sounds like chee
• -zione is pronounced roughly -tsyoh-neh

A more detailed breakdown:

• questa → KWEH-sta
• decisione → dee-chee-ZYOH-neh
• riguarda → ree-GWAR-da
• il governo → eel go-VEHR-no

This sentence is good practice for several basic Italian points:

1. Demonstrative agreement

   • questa agrees with feminine singular decisione

2. Noun gender

   • decisione is feminine
   • governo is masculine

3. Present tense verb agreement

   • riguarda matches the singular subject questa decisione

4. Direct object after a verb

   • riguardare takes a direct object: il governo

5. Use of the definite article

   • Italian uses il with governo

So even though the sentence is short, it contains several very common Italian patterns.