subsistir Preterite Conjugation
subsistir — to subsist
The preterite of 'subsistir' is regular: subsistí, subsististe, subsistió, subsistimos, subsististeis, subsistieron.
subsistir Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite to describe a completed action of subsisting or surviving that happened at a specific point or during a defined period in the past. For example, 'they subsisted for a week'.
Notes on subsistir in the Preterite
'Subsistir' is regular in the preterite. All the endings are standard for -ir verbs.
Example Sentences
Yo subsistí con muy poco durante la crisis.
I subsisted on very little during the crisis.
yo
¿Tú subsististe solo?
Did you subsist alone?
tú
Ellos subsistieron gracias a la ayuda del vecino.
They subsisted thanks to the neighbor's help.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
La familia subsistió en la isla durante meses.
The family subsisted on the island for months.
él/ella/usted
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Confusing the preterite 'subsistimos' with the present indicative 'subsistimos'.
Correct: Use context to differentiate: 'Ayer subsistimos' (preterite) vs. 'Hoy subsistimos' (present).
Why: The first-person plural form is identical in both tenses for regular -ir verbs.
Mistake: Using the imperfect instead of the preterite for a single, completed act of subsisting.
Correct: Use 'Yo subsistí' for a completed action, not 'Yo subsistía'.
Why: The preterite marks a finished event, while the imperfect describes an ongoing or habitual past action.
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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.
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.
Conditional
yo: subsistiría
The conditional 'subsistiría' expresses hypotheticals ('would subsist'), polite requests, or future-in-the-past actions.
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'.