Introduction
Desistir means “to give up, to desist”, and it is one of the verbs you will use again and again in Spanish. Desistir means to give up or to desist, and it is the formal verb for abandoning a plan, a claim or an attempt: desistir del plan, desistir de la idea. It takes de. It is a regular -ir verb. This page shows desistir 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: “Desisto del plan por falta de dinero.” — I give up from the plan for lack of money.
Desistir in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how desistir 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 desistir in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Desisto del plan por falta de dinero.” — I give up from the plan for lack of money.
“¿Desistes de la idea de viajar?” — Do you give up from the idea of travelling?
“Desiste del intento a la mitad.” — He/she gives up from the attempt halfway.
“Nosotros desistimos de reclamar el dinero.” — We give up from claiming the money.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show desistir in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer, yo desistí del plan por falta de dinero.” — Yesterday, I gave up from the plan for lack of money. (preterite)
“Antes, él desistía de la idea de viajar.” — Before, he used to give up from the idea of travelling. (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 desistir stays the same.
“Mañana, nosotros desistiremos del intento a la mitad.” — Tomorrow, we will give up from the attempt halfway. (future)
“¿Tú has desistido de reclamar el dinero?” — Have you given up from claiming the money? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Vosotros desistís del plan por falta de dinero.” — You give up from the plan for lack of money.
“Ellos desisten de la idea de viajar.” — They give up from the idea of travelling.
“Yo desisto del intento a la mitad.” — I give up from the attempt halfway.
“Mi padre desiste de reclamar el dinero.” — My father gives up from claiming the money.
Desistir 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 desistir appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Marta: “¿Tú desistes de la idea de viajar?” — Do you give up from the idea of travelling?
Pedro: “Sí, yo desisto del plan por falta de dinero.” — Yes, I give up from the plan for lack of money.
Marta: “Nosotros desistimos de reclamar el dinero.” — We give up from claiming the money.
Pedro: “Y ellos desisten de la idea de viajar.” — And they give up from the idea of travelling.
Marta: “Vosotros desistís del intento a la mitad.” — You give up from the attempt halfway.
Pedro: “Sí, y él desiste del plan por falta de dinero.” — Yes, and he gives up from the plan for lack of money.
A short paragraph
Desiste del plan por falta de dinero, y nosotros desistimos de reclamar el dinero. Yo desisto de la idea de viajar, y ellos desisten del intento a la mitad. Desistir is part of everyday life, because give up, to desist is something people do in work, at home and with friends, in the present, the past and the future.
Common mistakes with desistir
These are the errors learners actually make with desistir. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo desiste del plan por falta de dinero.” Right: “Yo desisto del plan por falta de dinero.” Why: The person matters: desiste is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is desisto. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
Wrong: “Ayer yo desisto de la idea de viajar.” Right: “Ayer yo desistí de la idea de viajar.” Why: The present and the preterite are different tenses: desisto is happening now, while desistí is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
Wrong: “Treating desistir and rendirse as identical in every context.” Right: “Desistir means to give up, to desist, while rendirse means to give up, to surrender.” Why: They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: desistir fits sentences such as Desisto del plan por falta de dinero, while rendirse belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Wrong: “Yo soy desistido de la idea de viajar.” Right: “Yo he desistido de la idea de viajar.” Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he desistido, has desistido, ha desistido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
Wrong: “De niño, yo desistí del intento a la mitad todos los días.” Right: “De niño, yo desistía del intento a la mitad todos los días.” Why: For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (desistía), not the preterite. The preterite (desistí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: desistir in use
Ten questions on desistir in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ del plan por falta de dinero.” (You give up from the plan for lack of money.)
- (a) desistís
- (b) desisto
- (c) desistes
Answer: desistís — The vosotros/as form of desistir in the present tense is desistís.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ de la idea de viajar.” (They give up from the idea of travelling.)
- (a) desistes
- (b) desisten
- (c) desisto
Answer: desisten — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of desistir in the present tense is desisten.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ del plan por falta de dinero.” (Yesterday I gave up from the plan for lack of money.)
- (a) desististe
- (b) desistió
- (c) desistí
Answer: desistí — In the preterite, the yo form of desistir is desistí.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “Antes, él ______ de la idea de viajar.” (Before, he used to give up from the idea of travelling.)
- (a) desistía
- (b) desisto
- (c) desistías
Answer: desistía — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of desistir is desistía.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Mañana, nosotros ______ del intento a la mitad.” (Tomorrow we will give up from the attempt halfway.)
- (a) desistirás
- (b) desistiremos
- (c) desistiré
Answer: desistiremos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of desistir is desistiremos.
6. What does desistir mean in English?
- (a) to give up, to desist
- (b) to define
- (c) to give up, to surrender
Answer: to give up, to desist — Desistir means “to give up, to desist”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo desiste del plan por falta de dinero.
- (b) Ellos desiste de la idea de viajar.
- (c) Yo desisto del plan por falta de dinero.
Answer: Yo desisto del plan por falta de dinero. — “Yo desisto del plan por falta de dinero.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I give up from the plan for lack of money.” in Spanish?
- (a) Mi padre desiste de reclamar el dinero.
- (b) Desisto del plan por falta de dinero.
- (c) Desisten del plan por falta de dinero.
Answer: Desisto del plan por falta de dinero. — “Desisto del plan por falta de dinero.” is the correct translation.
9. What is the nosotros form of desistir in the present tense?
- (a) desisto
- (b) desistes
- (c) desistimos
Answer: desistimos — The nosotros form is desistimos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Mañana, nosotros desistiremos del intento a la mitad.
- (b) Desisto del plan por falta de dinero.
- (c) Ayer, yo desistí del plan por falta de dinero.
Answer: Desisto del plan por falta de dinero. — “Desisto del plan por falta de dinero.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I give up from the plan for lack of money' in Spanish?
Say 'Desisto del plan por falta de dinero'. For a routine, add a time expression: 'Desisto del plan por falta de dinero todos los días'.
How do you say 'He gives up from the idea of travelling' in Spanish?
Say 'Él desiste de la idea de viajar'. The subject comes first, and the verb agrees with it: él takes desiste.
What is the difference between desistir and rendirse?
Desistir means to give up, to desist, while rendirse means to give up, to surrender. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use desistir when you mean to give up, to desist, as in 'Desisto del plan por falta de dinero', and use rendirse for to give up, to surrender.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of desistir — every tense of desistir in one place.
- Desistir 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 desistir and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of desistir until they are automatic.