Desistir Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb desistir means to give up, to desist, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. 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. Like every Spanish verb, desistir changes its ending for each person and tense, and this page gives you the complete picture: every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle, all from the verified conjugation tables. For example, in the present tense you say desisto del plan por falta de dinero, and in the preterite you say desistí del intento a la mitad. Work through the tables below, read the notes for each tense, and then test yourself with the examples, the common mistakes and the quiz at the end of the page.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: desistir
- English: to give up, to desist
- Verb type: regular -ir verb
- Ending: -ir
- Gerund: desistiendo
- Past participle: desistido
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + desistido)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for desistir, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Desistir takes de: desisto del plan. It is fully regular: desistí, desistía, desistiré.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for desistir. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem. For reflexive verbs, the pronoun column shows the reflexive pronoun that goes before each form.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | desisto |
| tú | desistes |
| él/ella/Ud. | desiste |
| nosotros/as | desistimos |
| vosotros/as | desistís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | desisten |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | desistí |
| tú | desististe |
| él/ella/Ud. | desistió |
| nosotros/as | desistimos |
| vosotros/as | desististeis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | desistieron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | desistía |
| tú | desistías |
| él/ella/Ud. | desistía |
| nosotros/as | desistíamos |
| vosotros/as | desistíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | desistían |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | desistiré |
| tú | desistirás |
| él/ella/Ud. | desistirá |
| nosotros/as | desistiremos |
| vosotros/as | desistiréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | desistirán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | desistiría |
| tú | desistirías |
| él/ella/Ud. | desistiría |
| nosotros/as | desistiríamos |
| vosotros/as | desistiríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | desistirían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he desistido |
| tú | has desistido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha desistido |
| nosotros/as | hemos desistido |
| vosotros/as | habéis desistido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han desistido |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había desistido |
| tú | habías desistido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había desistido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos desistido |
| vosotros/as | habíais desistido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían desistido |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré desistido |
| tú | habrás desistido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá desistido |
| nosotros/as | habremos desistido |
| vosotros/as | habréis desistido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán desistido |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría desistido |
| tú | habrías desistido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría desistido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos desistido |
| vosotros/as | habríais desistido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían desistido |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | desista |
| tú | desistas |
| él/ella/Ud. | desista |
| nosotros/as | desistamos |
| vosotros/as | desistáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | desistan |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | desistiera |
| tú | desistieras |
| él/ella/Ud. | desistiera |
| nosotros/as | desistiéramos |
| vosotros/as | desistierais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | desistieran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | desiste |
| él/ella/Ud. | desista |
| nosotros/as | desistamos |
| vosotros/as | desistid |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | desistan |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | desistas |
| él/ella/Ud. | desista |
| nosotros/as | desistamos |
| vosotros/as | desistáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | desistan |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | desistiendo | with estar for the progressive: estoy desistiendo |
| Past participle | desistido | with haber for the perfect tenses: he desistido |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For desistir, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Desisto del plan por falta de dinero. Learn the present forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Preterite
Use the preterite for finished actions with a clear end, often with ayer, el año pasado or anoche. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For desistir, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, desistí de la idea de viajar. Learn the preterite forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperfect
Use the imperfect for background, habits and actions in progress in the past, often with de niño, antes or mientras. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For desistir, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, desistía del intento a la mitad. Learn the imperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future
Use the future for plans, predictions and promises, often with mañana, el año que viene or pronto. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For desistir, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, desistiré de reclamar el dinero. Learn the future forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional
Use the conditional for polite requests, hypotheticals and what would happen, often with si clauses. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For desistir, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Desistiría del plan por falta de dinero si pudiera. Learn the conditional forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present perfect
Use the present perfect for recent actions and experiences, often with hoy, esta semana or ya. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For desistir, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he desistido de la idea de viajar. Learn the present perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Pluperfect
Use the pluperfect when one past action happened before another past action. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For desistir, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había desistido del intento a la mitad antes de salir. Learn the pluperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future perfect
Use the future perfect for something that will already be finished by a future time. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For desistir, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré desistido de reclamar el dinero. Learn the future perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional perfect
Use the conditional perfect for what would have happened under different conditions. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For desistir, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría desistido del plan por falta de dinero con más tiempo. Learn the conditional perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present subjunctive
Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For desistir, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él desista de la idea de viajar. Learn the present subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past, and note the -ra forms shown here; the -se forms use the same stem. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For desistir, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él desistiera del intento a la mitad, todo cambiaría. Learn the imperfect subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (affirmative)
Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For desistir, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Desiste de reclamar el dinero! Learn the affirmative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (negative)
Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For desistir, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No desistas del plan por falta de dinero. Learn the negative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with desistir, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Desisto del plan por falta de dinero. — I give up from the plan for lack of money.
- Desiste de la idea de viajar. — He/she gives up from the idea of travelling.
- Ayer, desistí del intento a la mitad. — Yesterday, I gave up from the attempt halfway.
- Antes, nosotros desistíamos de reclamar el dinero. — Before, we used to give up from claiming the money.
- Mañana, tú desistirás del plan por falta de dinero. — Tomorrow, you will give up from the plan for lack of money.
- Yo desistiría de la idea de viajar si tuviera más tiempo. — I would give up from the idea of travelling if I had more time.
- Él ha desistido del intento a la mitad. — He has given up from the attempt halfway.
- Espero que él desista de reclamar el dinero. — I hope he gives up from claiming the money.
- Yo ya había desistido del plan por falta de dinero antes de salir. — I had already given up from the plan for lack of money before leaving.
- Ellos desistían de la idea de viajar cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to give up from the idea of travelling when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo desiste del plan por falta de dinero. — Right: Yo desisto del plan por falta de dinero. — 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. — 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. — 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. — 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. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (desistía), not the preterite. The preterite (desistí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on desistir. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ del plan por falta de dinero. (present tense) A. desisto B. desistes C. desiste D. desistimos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ de la idea de viajar. (preterite) A. desistí B. desististe C. desistimos D. desistió
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ del intento a la mitad. (imperfect) A. desistías B. desisto C. desistíamos D. desistía
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ de reclamar el dinero. (future) A. desistiremos B. desistirás C. desistiré D. desistirá
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ del plan por falta de dinero si pudiera. (conditional) A. desistiría B. desistirías C. desistiríamos D. desisto
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ de la idea de viajar. (present subjunctive) A. desistas B. desistamos C. desisto D. desista
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ del intento a la mitad, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. desistiéramos B. desisto C. desistiera D. desistieras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ de reclamar el dinero. (present perfect) A. ha desistido B. hemos desistido C. he desistido D. has desistido
Complete the command: ¡___ del plan por falta de dinero! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. desiste B. desista C. desistamos D. desistid
Which is the gerund of desistir, used with estar for the progressive? A. desistido B. desisto C. desistí D. desistiendo
Answer key
- desisto — The yo present tense of desistir is desisto.
- desistió — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of desistir is desistió.
- desistíamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of desistir is desistíamos.
- desistirás — The tú future of desistir is desistirás.
- desistiría — The yo conditional of desistir is desistiría.
- desista — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of desistir is desista.
- desistiera — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of desistir is desistiera.
- hemos desistido — The nosotros/as present perfect of desistir is hemos desistido.
- desiste — The affirmative tú imperative of desistir is desiste.
- desistiendo — The gerund of desistir is desistiendo: estoy desistiendo. The participle desistido is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does desistir mean in English?
Desistir means to give up, to desist. It is used in everyday situations such as Desisto del plan por falta de dinero. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is desistir regular or irregular?
Desistir is a fully regular -ir verb, so every tense follows the standard endings for its class. Once you know the regular pattern, you can produce every form on this page, including desisto in the present and desistí in the preterite.
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. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I give up” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo desistí de la idea de viajar. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo desistía del intento a la mitad. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he desistido de la idea de viajar.
How do I practise desistir?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the desistir examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Desistir in the present tense — the full present-tense table for desistir.
- Desistir examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for desistir.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Definir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with desistir.
- Diferir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with desistir.
- Constituir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with desistir.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.