existir
Lemma Details
Translation: to exist; to be; to live; to subsist
Part of Speech: verb
Etymology: From Latin 'existere', which combines 'ex-' (out) + 'sistere' (to stand, place, cause to stand). The English cognate 'exist' shares the same Latin root. The word literally means 'to stand out' or 'emerge', evolving to mean 'to have being or reality'. This connection to 'standing forth' gives insight into how existence was conceptualized as having a presence or manifestation in the world.
Commonality: 90%
Guessability: 90%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
Los dinosaurios ya no existen.
Dinosaurs no longer exist.
¿Crees que existen los extraterrestres?
Do you believe that aliens exist?
Existen muchas razones para aprender español.
There are many reasons to learn Spanish.
No existe una solución perfecta.
A perfect solution doesn't exist.
Existimos para ayudarnos unos a otros.
We exist to help one another.
Mnemonics
- Sounds like 'exist' in English with an '-ir' ending typical of Spanish verbs.
- Think 'exit' + 'stir' = to emerge into being (existir).
- Remember the phrase 'Existo, luego pienso' (I exist, therefore I think) - a playful inversion of Descartes' famous quote.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
In Spanish philosophy and literature, 'existir' carries significant weight in discussions about identity and being. The concept appears prominently in existentialist works by Spanish and Latin American authors like Miguel de Unamuno and Jorge Luis Borges.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'existir' means 'to exist', 'insistir' means 'to insist' or 'to persist'. They sound similar but have completely different meanings.
Confused word:
Él insiste en que tiene razón.
He insists that he is right.
Notes: Both are regular '-ir' verbs but belong to different semantic fields.
Mnemonic: 'Existir' starts with 'ex-' like 'exist', while 'insistir' starts with 'in-' like 'insist'.
Explanation: 'Existir' refers to being or existing, while 'resistir' means 'to resist' or 'to withstand'.
Notes: Both share the Latin root 'sistere' (to stand) but with different prefixes that change the meaning.
Mnemonic: Think of 'resistir' as 're-' (against) + 'sistir' (to stand), while 'existir' is 'ex-' (out) + 'sistir'.