Insistir Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb insistir means to insist, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Insistir means to insist, and it is used for repeating a request, an opinion or an invitation until it is accepted. It takes en plus an infinitive for what you insist on doing, or en plus a noun: insistir en pagar la cuenta, insistir en la idea. It is a regular -ir verb, so the forms are straightforward. Like every Spanish verb, insistir 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 insisto en pagar la cuenta, and in the preterite you say insistí mucho en hablar con el jefe. 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: insistir
- English: to insist
- Verb type: regular -ir verb
- Ending: -ir
- Gerund: insistiendo
- Past participle: insistido
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + insistido)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for insistir, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Insistir takes en: insisto en pagar. Forgetting en is the most common mistake with this verb.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for insistir. 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 | insisto |
| tú | insistes |
| él/ella/Ud. | insiste |
| nosotros/as | insistimos |
| vosotros/as | insistís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | insisten |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | insistí |
| tú | insististe |
| él/ella/Ud. | insistió |
| nosotros/as | insistimos |
| vosotros/as | insististeis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | insistieron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | insistía |
| tú | insistías |
| él/ella/Ud. | insistía |
| nosotros/as | insistíamos |
| vosotros/as | insistíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | insistían |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | insistiré |
| tú | insistirás |
| él/ella/Ud. | insistirá |
| nosotros/as | insistiremos |
| vosotros/as | insistiréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | insistirán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | insistiría |
| tú | insistirías |
| él/ella/Ud. | insistiría |
| nosotros/as | insistiríamos |
| vosotros/as | insistiríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | insistirían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he insistido |
| tú | has insistido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha insistido |
| nosotros/as | hemos insistido |
| vosotros/as | habéis insistido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han insistido |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había insistido |
| tú | habías insistido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había insistido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos insistido |
| vosotros/as | habíais insistido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían insistido |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré insistido |
| tú | habrás insistido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá insistido |
| nosotros/as | habremos insistido |
| vosotros/as | habréis insistido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán insistido |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría insistido |
| tú | habrías insistido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría insistido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos insistido |
| vosotros/as | habríais insistido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían insistido |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | insista |
| tú | insistas |
| él/ella/Ud. | insista |
| nosotros/as | insistamos |
| vosotros/as | insistáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | insistan |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | insistiera |
| tú | insistieras |
| él/ella/Ud. | insistiera |
| nosotros/as | insistiéramos |
| vosotros/as | insistierais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | insistieran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | insiste |
| él/ella/Ud. | insista |
| nosotros/as | insistamos |
| vosotros/as | insistid |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | insistan |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | insistas |
| él/ella/Ud. | insista |
| nosotros/as | insistamos |
| vosotros/as | insistáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | insistan |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | insistiendo | with estar for the progressive: estoy insistiendo |
| Past participle | insistido | with haber for the perfect tenses: he insistido |
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 insistir, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Insisto en pagar la cuenta. 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 insistir, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, insistí en 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 insistir, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, insistía mucho en hablar con el jefe. 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 insistir, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, insistiré en que vengas a la fiesta. 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 insistir, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Insistiría en pagar la cuenta 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 insistir, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he insistido en 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 insistir, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había insistido mucho en hablar con el jefe 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 insistir, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré insistido en que vengas a la fiesta. 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 insistir, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría insistido en pagar la cuenta 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 insistir, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él insista en 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 insistir, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él insistiera mucho en hablar con el jefe, 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 insistir, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Insiste en que vengas a la fiesta! 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 insistir, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No insistas en pagar la cuenta. 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 insistir, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Insisto en pagar la cuenta. — I insist on paying the bill.
- Insiste en la idea de viajar. — He/she insists on the idea of travelling.
- Ayer, insistí mucho en hablar con el jefe. — Yesterday, I insisted a lot on speaking to the boss.
- Antes, nosotros insistíamos en que vengas a la fiesta. — Before, we used to insist that you come to the party.
- Mañana, tú insistirás en pagar la cuenta. — Tomorrow, you will insist on paying the bill.
- Yo insistiría en la idea de viajar si tuviera más tiempo. — I would insist on the idea of travelling if I had more time.
- Él ha insistido mucho en hablar con el jefe. — He has insisted a lot on speaking to the boss.
- Espero que él insista en que vengas a la fiesta. — I hope he insists that you come to the party.
- Yo ya había insistido en pagar la cuenta antes de salir. — I had already insisted on paying the bill before leaving.
- Ellos insistían en la idea de viajar cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to insist on the idea of travelling when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo insiste en pagar la cuenta. — Right: Yo insisto en pagar la cuenta. — The person matters: insiste is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is insisto. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo insisto en la idea de viajar. — Right: Ayer yo insistí en la idea de viajar. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: insisto is happening now, while insistí is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating insistir and persuadir as identical in every context. — Right: Insistir means to insist, while persuadir means to persuade. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: insistir fits sentences such as Insisto en pagar la cuenta, while persuadir belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy insistido en la idea de viajar. — Right: Yo he insistido en la idea de viajar. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he insistido, has insistido, ha insistido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo insistí mucho en hablar con el jefe todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo insistía mucho en hablar con el jefe todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (insistía), not the preterite. The preterite (insistí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on insistir. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ en pagar la cuenta. (present tense) A. insisto B. insistes C. insiste D. insistimos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ en la idea de viajar. (preterite) A. insistí B. insististe C. insistimos D. insistió
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ mucho en hablar con el jefe. (imperfect) A. insistías B. insisto C. insistíamos D. insistía
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ en que vengas a la fiesta. (future) A. insistiremos B. insistirás C. insistiré D. insistirá
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ en pagar la cuenta si pudiera. (conditional) A. insistiría B. insistirías C. insistiríamos D. insisto
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ en la idea de viajar. (present subjunctive) A. insistas B. insistamos C. insisto D. insista
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ mucho en hablar con el jefe, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. insistiéramos B. insisto C. insistiera D. insistieras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ en que vengas a la fiesta. (present perfect) A. ha insistido B. hemos insistido C. he insistido D. has insistido
Complete the command: ¡___ en pagar la cuenta! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. insiste B. insista C. insistamos D. insistid
Which is the gerund of insistir, used with estar for the progressive? A. insistido B. insisto C. insistí D. insistiendo
Answer key
- insisto — The yo present tense of insistir is insisto.
- insistió — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of insistir is insistió.
- insistíamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of insistir is insistíamos.
- insistirás — The tú future of insistir is insistirás.
- insistiría — The yo conditional of insistir is insistiría.
- insista — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of insistir is insista.
- insistiera — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of insistir is insistiera.
- hemos insistido — The nosotros/as present perfect of insistir is hemos insistido.
- insiste — The affirmative tú imperative of insistir is insiste.
- insistiendo — The gerund of insistir is insistiendo: estoy insistiendo. The participle insistido is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does insistir mean in English?
Insistir means to insist. It is used in everyday situations such as Insisto en pagar la cuenta. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is insistir regular or irregular?
Insistir 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 insisto in the present and insistí in the preterite.
What is the difference between insistir and persuadir?
Insistir means to insist, while persuadir means to persuade. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use insistir when you mean to insist, as in Insisto en pagar la cuenta, and use persuadir for to persuade. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I insist” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo insistí en la idea de viajar. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo insistía mucho en hablar con el jefe. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he insistido en la idea de viajar.
How do I practise insistir?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the insistir examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Insistir in the present tense — the full present-tense table for insistir.
- Insistir examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for insistir.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Influir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with insistir.
- Incluir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with insistir.
- Interrumpir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with insistir.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.