Breakdown of É difícil eles decidirem a data da viagem escolar.
ser
to be
de
of / from / by (means of transport) / wearing (attire)
eles
they (m)
decidir
to decide
Questions & Answers about É difícil eles decidirem a data da viagem escolar.
Why does the verb decidir have an -em at the end here?
This is the Personal Infinitive (Infinitivo Pessoal). Because the action of deciding has a specific subject (eles), the infinitive verb needs to match that subject. For regular verbs like decidir, you add -em for the they form, making it decidirem.
Could I use que and the Subjunctive instead of this form?
Yes! You could say É difícil que eles decidam a data... Both sentences mean the exact same thing. Using the Personal Infinitive (eles decidirem) is very common in Portuguese because it lets you avoid the subjunctive while still showing exactly who is doing the action.
In English, we say difficult for them. Why isn't there a translation for the word for (like para) before eles?
In Portuguese, impersonal phrases like É difícil (It is difficult) or É importante (It is important) connect directly to the subject of the next verb without needing a preposition like para. You just state the subject (eles) and then use the Personal Infinitive (decidirem).
Why is escolar used instead of escola, and does it change if there are multiple trips?