Introduction
Coexistir means “to coexist”, and it is one of the verbs you will use again and again in Spanish. Coexistir means to coexist, and it is used for people, animals, ideas and religions living side by side: coexistir en paz, coexistir con los vecinos. It takes con for the other party. It is a regular -ir verb. This page shows coexistir in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make most often, and it finishes with a ten-question quiz so you can test yourself. Every sentence below comes with its English translation, and every form is the correct present-tense form unless the sentence is clearly marked as past or future. For a first taste: “Coexisto en paz con los vecinos.” — I coexist in peace with the neighbours.
Coexistir in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how coexistir is used. Read each one out loud, then read the translation. If a sentence feels useful, copy it into your own notebook with one small change — a different time, a different person, a different place — and you have a new sentence of your own.
In the present: everyday use
These sentences use coexistir in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Coexisto en paz con los vecinos.” — I coexist in peace with the neighbours.
“¿Coexistes con otras religiones?” — Do you coexist with other religions?
“Coexiste en la misma casa.” — He/she coexists in the same house.
“Nosotros coexistimos sin problemas en el barrio.” — We coexist without problems in the neighbourhood.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show coexistir in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer, yo coexistí en paz con los vecinos.” — Yesterday, I coexisted in peace with the neighbours. (preterite)
“Antes, él coexistía con otras religiones.” — Before, he used to coexist with other religions. (imperfect)
Plans and things already done
These sentences look forward, or look back at something already finished. Notice how the verb form changes while the meaning of coexistir stays the same.
“Mañana, nosotros coexistiremos en la misma casa.” — Tomorrow, we will coexist in the same house. (future)
“¿Tú has coexistido sin problemas en el barrio?” — Have you coexisted without problems in the neighbourhood? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Vosotros coexistís en paz con los vecinos.” — You coexist in peace with the neighbours.
“Ellos coexisten con otras religiones.” — They coexist with other religions.
“Yo coexisto en la misma casa.” — I coexist in the same house.
“Mi padre coexiste sin problemas en el barrio.” — My father coexists without problems in the neighbourhood.
Coexistir in context
Single sentences teach you the forms. Dialogues teach you when to use them. Read the short conversation below, then the paragraph that follows, and notice how coexistir appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Marta: “¿Tú coexistes con otras religiones?” — Do you coexist with other religions?
Pedro: “Sí, yo coexisto en paz con los vecinos.” — Yes, I coexist in peace with the neighbours.
Marta: “Nosotros coexistimos sin problemas en el barrio.” — We coexist without problems in the neighbourhood.
Pedro: “Y ellos coexisten con otras religiones.” — And they coexist with other religions.
Marta: “Vosotros coexistís en la misma casa.” — You coexist in the same house.
Pedro: “Sí, y él coexiste en paz con los vecinos.” — Yes, and he coexists in peace with the neighbours.
A short paragraph
Coexiste en paz con los vecinos, y nosotros coexistimos sin problemas en el barrio. Yo coexisto con otras religiones, y ellos coexisten en la misma casa. Coexistir is part of everyday life, because coexist is something people do in work, at home and with friends, in the present, the past and the future.
Common mistakes with coexistir
These are the errors learners actually make with coexistir. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo coexiste en paz con los vecinos.” Right: “Yo coexisto en paz con los vecinos.” Why: The person matters: coexiste is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is coexisto. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
Wrong: “Ayer yo coexisto con otras religiones.” Right: “Ayer yo coexistí con otras religiones.” Why: The present and the preterite are different tenses: coexisto is happening now, while coexistí is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
Wrong: “Treating coexistir and convivir as identical in every context.” Right: “Coexistir means to coexist, while convivir means to live together.” Why: They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: coexistir fits sentences such as Coexisto en paz con los vecinos, while convivir belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Wrong: “Yo soy coexistido con otras religiones.” Right: “Yo he coexistido con otras religiones.” Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he coexistido, has coexistido, ha coexistido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
Wrong: “De niño, yo coexistí en la misma casa todos los días.” Right: “De niño, yo coexistía en la misma casa todos los días.” Why: For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (coexistía), not the preterite. The preterite (coexistí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: coexistir in use
Ten questions on coexistir in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ en paz con los vecinos.” (You coexist in peace with the neighbours.)
- (a) coexistís
- (b) coexisto
- (c) coexistes
Answer: coexistís — The vosotros/as form of coexistir in the present tense is coexistís.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ con otras religiones.” (They coexist with other religions.)
- (a) coexistes
- (b) coexisten
- (c) coexisto
Answer: coexisten — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of coexistir in the present tense is coexisten.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ en paz con los vecinos.” (Yesterday I coexisted in peace with the neighbours.)
- (a) coexististe
- (b) coexistió
- (c) coexistí
Answer: coexistí — In the preterite, the yo form of coexistir is coexistí.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “Antes, él ______ con otras religiones.” (Before, he used to coexist with other religions.)
- (a) coexistía
- (b) coexisto
- (c) coexistías
Answer: coexistía — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of coexistir is coexistía.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Mañana, nosotros ______ en la misma casa.” (Tomorrow we will coexist in the same house.)
- (a) coexistirás
- (b) coexistiremos
- (c) coexistiré
Answer: coexistiremos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of coexistir is coexistiremos.
6. What does coexistir mean in English?
- (a) to coexist
- (b) to attribute
- (c) to live together
Answer: to coexist — Coexistir means “to coexist”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo coexiste en paz con los vecinos.
- (b) Ellos coexiste con otras religiones.
- (c) Yo coexisto en paz con los vecinos.
Answer: Yo coexisto en paz con los vecinos. — “Yo coexisto en paz con los vecinos.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I coexist in peace with the neighbours.” in Spanish?
- (a) Mi padre coexiste sin problemas en el barrio.
- (b) Coexisto en paz con los vecinos.
- (c) Coexisten en paz con los vecinos.
Answer: Coexisto en paz con los vecinos. — “Coexisto en paz con los vecinos.” is the correct translation.
9. What is the nosotros form of coexistir in the present tense?
- (a) coexisto
- (b) coexistes
- (c) coexistimos
Answer: coexistimos — The nosotros form is coexistimos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Mañana, nosotros coexistiremos en la misma casa.
- (b) Coexisto en paz con los vecinos.
- (c) Ayer, yo coexistí en paz con los vecinos.
Answer: Coexisto en paz con los vecinos. — “Coexisto en paz con los vecinos.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I coexist in peace with the neighbours' in Spanish?
Say 'Coexisto en paz con los vecinos'. For a routine, add a time expression: 'Coexisto en paz con los vecinos todos los días'.
How do you say 'He coexists with other religions' in Spanish?
Say 'Él coexiste con otras religiones'. The subject comes first, and the verb agrees with it: él takes coexiste.
What is the difference between coexistir and convivir?
Coexistir means to coexist, while convivir means to live together. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use coexistir when you mean to coexist, as in 'Coexisto en paz con los vecinos', and use convivir for to live together.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of coexistir — every tense of coexistir in one place.
- Coexistir in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on coexistir and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of coexistir until they are automatic.