existir Present Conjugation
existir — to exist
Existir is a regular -ir verb in the present tense: existo, existes, existe, existimos, existís, existen.
existir Present Forms
When to Use the Present
Use the present tense to state general truths, scientific facts, or the current existence of something. It is common when discussing abstract concepts or confirming that something is available or real right now.
Notes on existir in the Present
Existir is completely regular in the present tense. It follows the standard pattern for all -ir verbs without any stem changes or spelling shifts.
Example Sentences
Yo existo para ayudarte.
I exist to help you.
yo
Muchos problemas existen en el mundo.
Many problems exist in the world.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Esta ley todavía existe.
This law still exists.
él/ella/usted
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using 'hay' and 'existe' interchangeably in every context.
Correct: Use 'existe' for formal existence and 'hay' for general availability.
Why: Learners often forget that 'existir' sounds more formal or philosophical than the common word 'hay' (there is/are).
Master Spanish verbs in context
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Related Tenses
Preterite
yo: existí
The preterite of existir is regular: existí, exististe, existió, existimos, exististeis, existieron.
Imperfect
yo: existía
Existir is regular in the imperfect: existía, existías, existía, existíamos, existíais, existían.
Future
yo: existiré
The future of existir uses the infinitive as the stem: existir + é, ás, á, emos, éis, án.
Conditional
yo: existiría
The conditional of existir is regular: existiría, existirías, existiría, existiríamos, existiríais, existirían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: exista
The present subjunctive of existir uses the 'a' endings: exista, existas, exista, existamos, existáis, existan.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: existiera
The imperfect subjunctive of existir is based on the preterite stem: existiera, existieras, existiera, existiéramos.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: existe
The imperative of existir is used for commands: existe, exista, existamos, existid, existan.
Negative Imperative
yo: no existas
The negative imperative of existir matches the present subjunctive: no existas, no exista, no existamos, no existáis, no existan.