Coexistir Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of coexistir — “to coexist” in English — is the form you need for what happens now, for habits and for general truths. This page gives you the full present conjugation table for coexistir with all six persons, explains exactly how the tense is formed for this verb, shows when to use it with real examples, and finishes with a quiz so you can test yourself. 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. To see it in a real sentence: Coexisto en paz con los vecinos. — “I coexist in peace with the neighbours.”
Present tense conjugation table: coexistir
Every person of coexistir in the present tense. The gerund is coexistiendo and the past participle is coexistido.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | coexisto |
| tú | coexistes |
| él/ella/Ud. | coexiste |
| nosotros/as | coexistimos |
| vosotros/as | coexistís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | coexisten |
The gerund is coexistiendo, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy coexistiendo” means the action of coexistir is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is coexistido, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he coexistido” is the present perfect, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present is only one part of how coexistir is used.
How the present of coexistir is formed
The present of coexistir is built from the stem coexist plus the present endings for -ir verbs. Take the infinitive, drop the -ir ending, and add the ending that matches the person. The table below shows the endings, and the full table above shows them attached to the stem.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | coexisto |
| tú | -es | coexistes |
| él/ella/Ud. | -e | coexiste |
| nosotros/as | -imos | coexistimos |
| vosotros/as | -ís | coexistís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -en | coexisten |
coexistir is a regular -ir verb in the present, so the table above is completely regular. The stem is coexist and the endings are the normal -ir endings, so there are no surprises to memorise in this tense — the challenge is only using the forms naturally.
The gerund of coexistir is coexistiendo and the past participle is coexistido. Both are the forms you need for the progressive and the perfect tenses with haber.
When to use the present of coexistir
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use coexistir in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.
1. A routine or habit
The present tense of coexistir is the tense for what happens regularly. When something is part of your routine, your week or your normal life, the present is the right choice, and coexistir is no exception. The time words that go with it are todos los días, cada semana, siempre and a menudo.
Example: “Coexisto en paz con los vecinos.” — I coexist in peace with the neighbours.
2. A general fact
The present tense also states facts that are true in general, not just today. When you describe what coexistir means in the world — what it does, who it affects, how it works — the present is the tense to use. There is no time limit on the statement, so no past or future form is needed.
Example: “Coexiste con otras religiones.” — He/she coexists with other religions.
3. Something happening right now
The present tense describes what is happening at this very moment. You do not need the progressive (estar plus the gerund) to say what is going on now: the simple present does the job in Spanish, and it is the more common choice in everyday speech.
Example: “Coexisto en la misma casa.” — I coexist in the same house.
4. A plan or arrangement
Spanish uses the present tense for plans that are already fixed, especially with a time expression such as mañana or el lunes. When the arrangement is made, the present tense states it as a fact, and coexistir follows the same rule as every other verb.
Example: “Mañana, nosotros coexistimos sin problemas en el barrio.” — Tomorrow, we coexist without problems in the neighbourhood.
5. Asking and answering questions
Questions in the present tense ask about routines, facts and what is happening now. The answer uses the same tense, so a question and its answer stay in the present together. This is the pattern you will hear most often in conversation.
Example: “¿Coexistes con otras religiones?” — Do you coexist with other religions?
The present vs the preterite: how to choose
The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and choosing between them is one of the first decisions in Spanish. The rule is simple: the present reports what happens now, what happens regularly, or what is generally true, while the preterite reports one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is whether the action is happening now or is already finished. Time words help: ahora and todos los días point to the present, while ayer and anoche point to the preterite.
Present: “Coexisto en paz con los vecinos.” — I coexist in peace with the neighbours.
Preterite: “Coexistí en paz con los vecinos.” — I coexisted in peace with the neighbours.
The present sentence describes what happens now or regularly; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Present: “Coexiste con otras religiones.” — He/she coexists with other religions.
Preterite: “Coexistió con otras religiones.” — He/she coexisted with other religions.
The present sentence describes what happens now or regularly; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Present: “Coexistimos en la misma casa.” — We coexist in the same house.
Preterite: “Coexistimos en la misma casa.” — We coexisted in the same house.
The present sentence describes what happens now or regularly; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Example sentences: coexistir in the present
Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions, the objects, the other verbs — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.
“Coexisto en paz con los vecinos.” — I coexist in peace with the neighbours.
“Coexistes con otras religiones.” — You coexist with other religions.
“Coexiste en la misma casa.” — He/she coexists in the same house.
“Coexistimos sin problemas en el barrio.” — We coexist without problems in the neighbourhood.
“Coexistís en paz con los vecinos.” — You coexist in peace with the neighbours.
“Coexisten con otras religiones.” — They coexist with other religions.
“Coexisto en la misma casa.” — I coexist in the same house.
“Coexiste sin problemas en el barrio.” — He/she coexists without problems in the neighbourhood.
Common mistakes with coexistir in the present
These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. 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: Yo needs the yo form coexisto. The form coexiste belongs with él, ella or Ud.
Wrong: “Yo coexistir con otras religiones.” Right: “Yo coexisto con otras religiones.” Why: The infinitive coexistir cannot be the main verb of a sentence: it must be conjugated to agree with yo, giving coexisto.
Wrong: “Ayer yo coexisto con otras religiones.” Right: “Ayer yo coexistí con otras religiones.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to coexistí.
Wrong: “Ellos coexiste con otras religiones.” Right: “Ellos coexisten con otras religiones.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form coexisten. The singular coexiste belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
Quiz: coexistir in the present
Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.
1. Complete the sentence: “Yo ___ en paz con los vecinos.”
- (a) coexisto
- (b) coexistes
- (c) coexiste
Answer: coexisto — The yo form of coexistir in the present is coexisto.
2. Complete the sentence: “Tú ___ con otras religiones.”
- (a) coexisto
- (b) coexiste
- (c) coexistes
Answer: coexistes — The tú form of coexistir in the present is coexistes.
3. Complete the sentence: “Él/ella ___ en la misma casa.”
- (a) coexistes
- (b) coexiste
- (c) coexisto
Answer: coexiste — The él/ella form of coexistir in the present is coexiste.
4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros/as ___ sin problemas en el barrio.”
- (a) coexistimos
- (b) coexisto
- (c) coexistes
Answer: coexistimos — The nosotros/as form of coexistir in the present is coexistimos.
5. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros/as ___ en paz con los vecinos.”
- (a) coexisto
- (b) coexistes
- (c) coexistís
Answer: coexistís — The vosotros/as form of coexistir in the present is coexistís.
6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos/ellas ___ con otras religiones.”
- (a) coexistes
- (b) coexisten
- (c) coexisto
Answer: coexisten — The ellos/ellas form of coexistir in the present is coexisten.
7. What does coexistir mean in English?
- (a) to coexist
- (b) to live together
- (c) to be about
Answer: to coexist — Coexistir means to coexist.
8. Which sentence is in the present?
- (a) Coexistí en paz con los vecinos.
- (b) Coexistiré en paz con los vecinos.
- (c) Coexisto en paz con los vecinos.
Answer: Coexisto en paz con los vecinos. — “Coexisto en paz con los vecinos.” is in the present. The other two use different tenses.
Frequently asked questions
Is coexistir regular in the present?
Yes. Coexistir is regular in the present: coexisto, coexistes, coexiste, coexistimos, coexistís and coexisten. Watch the accents on the forms that carry them, and remember that the nosotros form is the one that keeps the stem unchanged.
What is the gerund and the past participle of coexistir?
The gerund is coexistiendo, used with estar for the progressive: estoy coexistiendo. The past participle is coexistido, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he coexistido.
What should I watch out for with coexistir?
Coexistir takes con: coexisto con mis vecinos. It is fully regular: coexistí, coexistía, coexistiré. In the present, the form to fix in your memory first is coexisto, because the yo form shows the stem pattern for the whole tense.
How do I practise coexistir in the present?
Say the six forms in the table out loud with the examples above, then use the coexistir examples and quiz page for more sentences, and the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of coexistir — every tense of coexistir in one place.
- Coexistir examples and quiz — more sentences with coexistir and a ten-question quiz.
- Spanish present guide — how the present works for all Spanish verbs.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Present tense conjugator — conjugate any verb in the present instantly.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on coexistir and other verbs.