Persistir Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of persistir — “to persist” 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 persistir 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. Persistir means to persist or to keep going, and it is used for continuing despite difficulty: persistir en el esfuerzo, persistir en la idea. It takes en. It is a regular -ir verb. To see it in a real sentence: Persisto en el esfuerzo cada día. — “I persist in the effort every day.”
Present tense conjugation table: persistir
Every person of persistir in the present tense. The gerund is persistiendo and the past participle is persistido.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | persisto |
| tú | persistes |
| él/ella/Ud. | persiste |
| nosotros/as | persistimos |
| vosotros/as | persistís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | persisten |
The gerund is persistiendo, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy persistiendo” means the action of persistir is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is persistido, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he persistido” 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 persistir is used.
How the present of persistir is formed
The present of persistir is built from the stem persist 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 | persisto |
| tú | -es | persistes |
| él/ella/Ud. | -e | persiste |
| nosotros/as | -imos | persistimos |
| vosotros/as | -ís | persistís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -en | persisten |
persistir is a regular -ir verb in the present, so the table above is completely regular. The stem is persist 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 persistir is persistiendo and the past participle is persistido. Both are the forms you need for the progressive and the perfect tenses with haber.
When to use the present of persistir
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use persistir 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 persistir 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 persistir is no exception. The time words that go with it are todos los días, cada semana, siempre and a menudo.
Example: “Persisto en el esfuerzo cada día.” — I persist in the effort every day.
2. A general fact
The present tense also states facts that are true in general, not just today. When you describe what persistir 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: “Persiste en la idea del proyecto.” — He/she persists in the project's idea.
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: “Persisto a pesar de las dificultades.” — I persist despite the difficulties.
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 persistir follows the same rule as every other verb.
Example: “Mañana, nosotros persistimos en su opinión en la reunión.” — Tomorrow, we persist in his opinion in the meeting.
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: “¿Persistes en la idea del proyecto?” — Do you persist in the project's idea?
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: “Persisto en el esfuerzo cada día.” — I persist in the effort every day.
Preterite: “Persistí en el esfuerzo cada día.” — I persisted in the effort every day.
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: “Persiste en la idea del proyecto.” — He/she persists in the project's idea.
Preterite: “Persistió en la idea del proyecto.” — He/she persisted in the project's idea.
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: “Persistimos a pesar de las dificultades.” — We persist despite the difficulties.
Preterite: “Persistimos a pesar de las dificultades.” — We persisted despite the difficulties.
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: persistir 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.
“Persisto en el esfuerzo cada día.” — I persist in the effort every day.
“Persistes en la idea del proyecto.” — You persist in the project's idea.
“Persiste a pesar de las dificultades.” — He/she persists despite the difficulties.
“Persistimos en su opinión en la reunión.” — We persist in his opinion in the meeting.
“Persistís en el esfuerzo cada día.” — You persist in the effort every day.
“Persisten en la idea del proyecto.” — They persist in the project's idea.
“Persisto a pesar de las dificultades.” — I persist despite the difficulties.
“Persiste en su opinión en la reunión.” — He/she persists in his opinion in the meeting.
Common mistakes with persistir 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 persiste en el esfuerzo cada día.” Right: “Yo persisto en el esfuerzo cada día.” Why: Yo needs the yo form persisto. The form persiste belongs with él, ella or Ud.
Wrong: “Yo persistir en la idea del proyecto.” Right: “Yo persisto en la idea del proyecto.” Why: The infinitive persistir cannot be the main verb of a sentence: it must be conjugated to agree with yo, giving persisto.
Wrong: “Ayer yo persisto en la idea del proyecto.” Right: “Ayer yo persistí en la idea del proyecto.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to persistí.
Wrong: “Ellos persiste en la idea del proyecto.” Right: “Ellos persisten en la idea del proyecto.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form persisten. The singular persiste belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
Quiz: persistir 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 el esfuerzo cada día.”
- (a) persisto
- (b) persistes
- (c) persiste
Answer: persisto — The yo form of persistir in the present is persisto.
2. Complete the sentence: “Tú ___ en la idea del proyecto.”
- (a) persisto
- (b) persiste
- (c) persistes
Answer: persistes — The tú form of persistir in the present is persistes.
3. Complete the sentence: “Él/ella ___ a pesar de las dificultades.”
- (a) persistes
- (b) persiste
- (c) persisto
Answer: persiste — The él/ella form of persistir in the present is persiste.
4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros/as ___ en su opinión en la reunión.”
- (a) persistimos
- (b) persisto
- (c) persistes
Answer: persistimos — The nosotros/as form of persistir in the present is persistimos.
5. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros/as ___ en el esfuerzo cada día.”
- (a) persisto
- (b) persistes
- (c) persistís
Answer: persistís — The vosotros/as form of persistir in the present is persistís.
6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos/ellas ___ en la idea del proyecto.”
- (a) persistes
- (b) persisten
- (c) persisto
Answer: persisten — The ellos/ellas form of persistir in the present is persisten.
7. What does persistir mean in English?
- (a) to persist
- (b) to insist
- (c) to be about
Answer: to persist — Persistir means to persist.
8. Which sentence is in the present?
- (a) Persistí en el esfuerzo cada día.
- (b) Persistiré en el esfuerzo cada día.
- (c) Persisto en el esfuerzo cada día.
Answer: Persisto en el esfuerzo cada día. — “Persisto en el esfuerzo cada día.” is in the present. The other two use different tenses.
Frequently asked questions
Is persistir regular in the present?
Yes. Persistir is regular in the present: persisto, persistes, persiste, persistimos, persistís and persisten. 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 persistir?
The gerund is persistiendo, used with estar for the progressive: estoy persistiendo. The past participle is persistido, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he persistido.
What should I watch out for with persistir?
Persistir takes en: persisto en el esfuerzo. It is fully regular: persistí, persistía, persistiré. In the present, the form to fix in your memory first is persisto, because the yo form shows the stem pattern for the whole tense.
How do I practise persistir in the present?
Say the six forms in the table out loud with the examples above, then use the persistir examples and quiz page for more sentences, and the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of persistir — every tense of persistir in one place.
- Persistir examples and quiz — more sentences with persistir 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 persistir and other verbs.