Level B2

make up your mind

decide

In Spanish

decidirse

Examples

  • You've got until Friday to make up your mind.
  • She couldn't make up her mind about which dress to wear to the party.
  • After much consideration, he finally made up his mind to accept the job offer.

When it's used

This idiom is used in everyday conversation to urge someone to make a decision, especially when there's a sense of urgency or pressure. It's common in informal speech and among friends or family.

The common mistake

A common mistake is using an incorrect form like 'make up your decision'. Learners often translate directly from Spanish 'decidirse', but in English, 'decision' is not used in this expression. It can also be confused with 'make a decision', which is correct but less colloquial.

Related idioms

Recognising it isn't the same as using it

Reading an idiom and understanding it is step one. Dropping it into a conversation, at the right moment, without stopping to think, is another — and that only comes from speaking.

Practise speaking