subsistir Conditional Conjugation
subsistir — to subsist
The conditional 'subsistiría' expresses hypotheticals ('would subsist'), polite requests, or future-in-the-past actions.
subsistir Conditional Forms
When to Use the Conditional
Use the conditional of 'subsistir' to talk about what someone would do (subsist under certain conditions), express a polite suggestion about how to manage, or describe what was expected to happen in the past.
Notes on subsistir in the Conditional
'Subsistir' is regular in the conditional tense. The stem is the full infinitive 'subsistir', and the standard conditional endings are added.
Example Sentences
Yo subsistiría con mucho menos si fuera necesario.
I would subsist on much less if it were necessary.
yo
¿Tú subsistirías solo?
Would you subsist alone?
tú
Ellos subsistirían si tuvieran un poco de ayuda.
They would subsist if they had a little help.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Me dijo que subsistiría con lo que le dieran.
He told me he would subsist on whatever they gave him.
él/ella/usted
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect subjunctive instead of the conditional for hypothetical 'would' statements.
Correct: Use 'Yo subsistiría' for 'I would subsist', not 'Yo subsistiera'.
Why: The conditional expresses the consequence ('would') in hypothetical situations, while the imperfect subjunctive sets up the condition ('if...').
Mistake: Confusing conditional endings with future endings.
Correct: Conditional endings are -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían. Future endings are -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis, -án.
Why: They look similar but have different vowel sounds and are used in different contexts.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: subsisto
The present indicative 'subsisto' is used for current states, habitual actions, or general truths about subsisting.
Preterite
yo: subsistí
The preterite of 'subsistir' is regular: subsistí, subsististe, subsistió, subsistimos, subsististeis, subsistieron.
Imperfect
yo: subsistía
The imperfect 'subsistía' describes ongoing or habitual past actions of subsisting, or sets the background scene.
Future
yo: subsistiré
The future tense 'subsistiré' is regular and used for actions that will happen or to express probability.
Present Subjunctive
yo: subsista
The present subjunctive ('subsista') is used after expressions of desire, doubt, emotion, and uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: subsistiera
The imperfect subjunctive ('subsistiera' or 'subsistiese') expresses past hypotheticals, wishes, or doubts, often in 'if' clauses.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: subsiste
Commands like 'subsiste' (you singular) or 'subsistan' (they/you plural) are formed by taking the present subjunctive, with 'tú' and 'vosotros' being exceptions.
Negative Imperative
yo: no subsistas
Negative commands like 'no subsistas' (you singular) or 'no subsistan' (they/you plural) are always formed using the present subjunctive with 'no'.