How to Say "to insist" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “to insist” is “insistir” — A2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
Ella insiste en pagar la cena.
She insists on paying for dinner.
Mis padres insistieron en que fuera a la universidad.
My parents insisted that I go to college.
No quiero ser pesado, pero debo insistir en este punto.
I don't want to be annoying, but I must insist on this point.
The 'En' Connection
Unlike in English where we say 'insist on', in Spanish, you almost always need the word 'en' after 'insistir' when followed by a noun or an action.
Triggering the Subjunctive
When you insist that someone else does something, the second verb needs a special form (the subjunctive). For example: 'Insisto en que tú lo hagas' (I insist that you do it).
Missing the 'en'
Mistake: “Insisto que vengas.”
Correction: Insisto EN que vengas. (Spanish requires the 'en' before the 'que' when using this verb to link ideas.)
Using the wrong 'on' translation
Mistake: “Insisto sobre ir.”
Correction: Insisto en ir. (Even though 'sobre' can mean 'on', 'insistir' always pairs with 'en'.)
Related Translations
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