Discutir
to discuss / to argue
Presente
Current actions, habits, and general truths.
| eu | discuto | Eu discuto ideias com quem pensa diferente de mim. — I discuss ideas with those who think differently from me. |
| você/ele/ela | discute | Ela discute com paixão mas sem perder o respeito. — She argues with passion but without losing respect. |
| nós | discutimos | Nós discutimos muito antes de decidir — e as decisões ficam melhores. — We discuss a lot before deciding — and the decisions improve. |
| eles/elas | discutem | Eles discutem o projeto linha por linha — é o jeito deles. — They discuss the project line by line — that's their way. |
I discuss to understand, not to win. My friend argues with a listening that disarms any argument. We discuss ideas without confusing them with personal attacks — that's rare. Knowing how to discuss well is one of the most civilising skills there is.
Pret. Perfeito
Completed past actions — what happened.
| eu | discuti | Eu discuti com minha melhor amiga e ficamos dois dias sem falar. — I argued with my best friend and we went two days without speaking. |
| você/ele/ela | discutiu | Ela discutiu a proposta durante horas e saiu com uma versão melhor. — She discussed the proposal for hours and came out with a better version. |
| nós | discutimos | Nós discutimos e depois entendemos que tínhamos razão os dois. — We argued and then understood that both of us were right. |
| eles/elas | discutiram | Eles discutiram as cláusulas do contrato até chegar ao equilíbrio justo. — They discussed the contract clauses until they reached fair balance. |
The meeting was productive precisely because it was difficult. I discussed the proposal with those who disagreed — and changed my mind. My partner discussed every point without yielding on the essentials. We discussed for two hours and arrived at something neither of us had brought. Those who discussed with openness came away with more than they'd brought.
Pret. Imperfeito
Ongoing or habitual past — what used to happen or was happening.
| eu | discutia | Eu discutia política na ceia de Natal e aprendi a não fazer mais isso. — I used to argue about politics at Christmas dinner and learned not to do that any more. |
| você/ele/ela | discutia | Ela discutia cada detalhe antes de aceitar qualquer coisa. — She used to discuss every detail before accepting anything. |
| nós | discutíamos | Nós discutíamos durante horas e saíamos melhores amigos. — We used to argue for hours and come out better friends. |
| eles/elas | discutiam | Eles discutiam o cardápio com a seriedade de um tratado internacional. — They used to discuss the menu with the seriousness of an international treaty. |
At university, I used to discuss philosophy until dawn — we thought we were changing the world. I used to discuss with teachers who respected disagreement — and that respect was the best lesson. My class used to discuss with the intensity of those who still believe words make a difference. We used to argue a lot and build more — it was the right environment.
Futuro Informal
Plans and intentions — "going to." The most common future form in spoken BR Portuguese.
| eu | vou discutir | Vou discutir os termos antes de assinar qualquer coisa. — I'm going to discuss the terms before signing anything. |
| você/ele/ela | vai discutir | Ela vai discutir o caso com o time antes de tomar posição. — She's going to discuss the case with the team before taking a position. |
| nós | vamos discutir | Vamos discutir o orçamento na segunda — calendário bloqueado. — We're going to discuss the budget on Monday — calendar blocked. |
| eles/elas | vão discutir | Eles vão discutir a fusão nas próximas semanas. — They're going to discuss the merger in the coming weeks. |
The contract has points that need revision. I'm going to discuss every clause with the lawyer before any signature. My partner is going to discuss the conditions with the legal team tomorrow. We're going to discuss openly — no surprises for either side. Those who haven't yet looked at the document need to read it by Wednesday.
Futuro Formal
Formal future — "shall/will." More common in writing than speech.
| eu | discutirei | Discutirei os detalhes quando tiver todos os dados. — I will discuss the details when I have all the data. |
| você/ele/ela | discutirá | Ela discutirá o relatório com a diretoria na sexta. — She will discuss the report with the board on Friday. |
| nós | discutiremos | Discutiremos as mudanças em reunião aberta com toda a equipe. — We will discuss the changes in an open meeting with the whole team. |
| eles/elas | discutirão | Os parlamentares discutirão o projeto de lei na sessão de terça. — The parliamentarians will discuss the bill at Tuesday's session. |
The communiqué was transparent: The committee will discuss open cases in closed session. We will discuss the proposed changes with all stakeholders. The representatives will discuss the terms in a round of negotiation. I will personally discuss the deadlocked points before the vote.
Condicional
Hypotheticals and polite requests — "would."
| eu | discutiria | Eu discutiria menos se soubesse que a maioria das brigas não vale a energia. — I would argue less if I knew most arguments aren't worth the energy. |
| você/ele/ela | discutiria | Ela discutiria mais se sentisse que seria ouvida. — She would discuss more if she felt she would be heard. |
| nós | discutiríamos | Discutiríamos mais os grandes temas se houvesse mais tempo. — We would discuss the big themes more if there were more time. |
| eles/elas | discutiriam | Eles discutiriam melhor com um facilitador neutro. — They would discuss better with a neutral facilitator. |
If there were more real listening in conversations, I would discuss with much more pleasure. My friend would discuss politics more if the environment were less toxic. We would discuss problems more openly if there were more trust between the parties. Families would discuss better if they had learned to disagree with love.
Discutir across the tenses
A short story using discutir in multiple tenses
Meus pais discutiam raramente mas quando discutiam era de verdade — com argumento, com pausa, com resolução. Nós filhos discutíamos entre nós com mais volume e menos profundidade.
Hoje eu discuto com mais paciência. Ontem discuti uma ideia com meu sócio e saímos com uma versão que nenhum tinha chegado sozinho. Discutimos assim o que importa — sem ego, com presença.
No próximo projeto, vou discutir as premissas antes de avançar. Se der, discutirei com quem pensa diferente — é quando mais aprendo.
Perguntei ao meu pai o que ele discutiria se pudesse ter uma conversa de novo. Ele pensou: Discutiria menos e ouviria mais. A maioria das brigas era só falta de escuta.
My parents used to argue rarely but when they did it was for real — with argument, with pause, with resolution. We children used to argue among ourselves with more volume and less depth. Today I discuss with more patience. Yesterday I discussed an idea with my partner and we came out with a version neither had arrived at alone. We discuss what matters like this — without ego, with presence. On the next project, I'm going to discuss the premises before moving forward. If possible, I will discuss with those who think differently — it's when I learn most. I asked my dad what he would discuss if he could have one conversation again. He thought: I would argue less and listen more. Most arguments were just a lack of listening.
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