Existir

to exist

🎯
Infinitive (infinitivo)
Base form of the verb
existir
🏃
Gerund (gerundio)
Present participle (-ing form)
existiendo
📋
Past Participle
Used in compound tenses
existido

Simple Tenses

Present Indicative (presente de indicativo)
Present actions and habitual activities
PersonConjugation
yo
existo
I exist
existes
you exist
él/ella/usted
existe
he/she/you exists
nosotros
existimos
we exist
vosotros
existís
you all exist
ellos/ustedes
existen
they/you all exist
🕰️
Imperfect Indicative (imperfecto de indicativo)
Ongoing past actions and descriptions
PersonConjugation
yo
existía
I used to exist
existías
you used to exist
él/ella/usted
existía
he/she/you used to exist
nosotros
existíamos
we used to exist
vosotros
existíais
you all used to exist
ellos/ustedes
existían
they/you all used to exist
📅
Preterit (pretérito)
Completed past actions
PersonConjugation
yo
existí
I existed
exististe
you existed
él/ella/usted
existió
he/she/you existed
nosotros
existimos
we existed
vosotros
exististeis
you all existed
ellos/ustedes
existieron
they/you all existed
🔮
Future (futuro)
Future actions and intentions
PersonConjugation
yo
existiré
I will exist
existirás
you will exist
él/ella/usted
existirá
he/she/you will exist
nosotros
existiremos
we will exist
vosotros
existiréis
you all will exist
ellos/ustedes
existirán
they/you all will exist
🎯
Conditional (potencial simple)
Hypothetical and conditional actions
PersonConjugation
yo
existiría
I would exist
existirías
you would exist
él/ella/usted
existiría
he/she/you would exist
nosotros
existiríamos
we would exist
vosotros
existiríais
you all would exist
ellos/ustedes
existirían
they/you all would exist
💭
Present Subjunctive (presente de subjuntivo)
Subjective present actions and desires
PersonConjugation
yo
exista
that I exist
existas
that you exist
él/ella/usted
exista
that he/she/you exist
nosotros
existamos
that we exist
vosotros
existáis
that you all exist
ellos/ustedes
existan
that they/you all exist
🌙
Imperfect Subjunctive (imperfecto de subjuntivo)
Subjective past actions and hypothetical situations
PersonConjugation
yo
existiera
or
existiese
that I existed
existieras
or
existieses
that you existed
él/ella/usted
existiera
or
existiese
that he/she/you existed
nosotros
existiéramos
or
existiésemos
that we existed
vosotros
existierais
or
existieseis
that you all existed
ellos/ustedes
existieran
or
existiesen
that they/you all existed

Compound Tenses

Present Perfect (perfecto de indicativo)
Actions completed recently or with present relevance
PersonConjugation
yo
he existido
I have existed
has existido
you have existed
él/ella/usted
ha existido
he/she/you have existed
nosotros
hemos existido
we have existed
vosotros
habéis existido
you all have existed
ellos/ustedes
han existido
they/you all have existed
Pluperfect Indicative (pluscuamperfecto de indicativo)
Actions completed before another past action
PersonConjugation
yo
había existido
I had existed
habías existido
you had existed
él/ella/usted
había existido
he/she/you had existed
nosotros
habíamos existido
we had existed
vosotros
habíais existido
you all had existed
ellos/ustedes
habían existido
they/you all had existed
📍
Preterit Perfect (pretérito anterior)
Actions completed immediately before another past action
PersonConjugation
yo
hube existido
I had existed
hubiste existido
you had existed
él/ella/usted
hubo existido
he/she/you had existed
nosotros
hubimos existido
we had existed
vosotros
hubisteis existido
you all had existed
ellos/ustedes
hubieron existido
they/you all had existed
🎊
Future Perfect (futuro perfecto)
Actions that will be completed by a future time
PersonConjugation
yo
habré existido
I will have existed
habrás existido
you will have existed
él/ella/usted
habrá existido
he/she/you will have existed
nosotros
habremos existido
we will have existed
vosotros
habréis existido
you all will have existed
ellos/ustedes
habrán existido
they/you all will have existed
🔄
Conditional Perfect (potencial compuesto)
Actions that would have been completed under certain conditions
PersonConjugation
yo
habría existido
I would have existed
habrías existido
you would have existed
él/ella/usted
habría existido
he/she/you would have existed
nosotros
habríamos existido
we would have existed
vosotros
habríais existido
you all would have existed
ellos/ustedes
habrían existido
they/you all would have existed
💫
Subjunctive Present Perfect (perfecto de subjuntivo)
Subjective actions completed in relation to the present
PersonConjugation
yo
haya existido
that I have existed
hayas existido
that you have existed
él/ella/usted
haya existido
that he/she/you have existed
nosotros
hayamos existido
that we have existed
vosotros
hayáis existido
that you all have existed
ellos/ustedes
hayan existido
that they/you all have existed
🌌
Subjunctive Past Perfect (pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo)
Subjective actions completed before another past action
PersonConjugation
yo
hubiera existido
that I had existed
hubieras existido
that you had existed
él/ella/usted
hubiera existido
that he/she/you had existed
nosotros
hubiéramos existido
that we had existed
vosotros
hubierais existido
that you all had existed
ellos/ustedes
hubieran existido
that they/you all had existed
Commands (imperativo)
Commands and direct orders
PersonCommandEnglish
existe
exist! (you)
usted
exista
exist! (you formal)
nosotros
existamos
let's exist!
vosotros
existid
exist! (you all)
ustedes
existan
exist! (you all)
🚫
Negative Commands (imperativo negativo)
Negative commands and prohibitions
PersonCommandEnglish
no existas
don't exist! (you)
usted
no exista
don't exist! (you formal)
nosotros
no existamos
let's not exist!
vosotros
no existáis
don't exist! (you all)
ustedes
no existan
don't exist! (you all)

More About "existir"

Idiomatic Expressions

dejar de existir

to cease to exist / to pass away

💡 Euphemism for dying or disappearing

no existe

it doesn't exist / there's no such thing

💡 Denying the existence of something

como si no existiera

as if it/he/she didn't exist

💡 Being ignored or treated as invisible

Examples in Context

¿Existen los extraterrestres?

Do aliens exist?

Present

Esta tradición existe desde hace siglos.

This tradition has existed for centuries.

Present

No existe una solución fácil.

There is no easy solution.

Present

Existió una gran civilización aquí.

A great civilization existed here.

Preterite

Existirán nuevas oportunidades.

New opportunities will exist.

Future
Related Verbs
coexistir(to coexist)

compound - to coexist

preexistir(to preexist)

compound - to preexist

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms:

ser(to be)

In philosophical contexts about existence

haber(there is/are)

For stating existence: hay (there is/are)

Antonyms:

desaparecer(to disappear)
Usage Notes
  • Existir is a regular -ir verb
  • Main meaning: to exist, to be (in existence)
  • Often used in philosophical or abstract contexts
  • Commonly used in questions about existence: ¿Existe...? (Does... exist?)
  • Negative form "no existe" is very common: no existe (it doesn't exist)
  • Can be impersonal or personal depending on subject
  • Related noun: la existencia (existence)
  • Distinguished from "ser" (to be) and "estar" (to be) - existir emphasizes existence itself