Introduction

resistir means “to resist”, and it is one of the verbs you will use every day in Spanish. It is the verb for expressing “to resist” in everyday Spanish — in conversation, at work, and at home. This page shows resistir 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 form unless the sentence is clearly marked as past or future. For a first taste: “Yo resisto la presión por la mañana.” — “I resist the pressure.”

resistir in real example sentences

The twelve sentences below are grouped by how resistir 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 {verb} in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.

  1. “Yo resisto la presión cada día.” — “I resist the pressure.”
  2. “Tú resistes la presión cada día.” — “you resist the pressure.”
  3. “Él resiste la presión siempre.” — “He resists the pressure.”
  4. “Nosotros resistimos la presión todos los días.” — “We resist the pressure.”

Talking about the past

The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show {verb} in the past, so you can talk about what already happened. 5. “Yo resistí la presión ayer.” — “I resisted the pressure.” (preterite) 6. “Él resistió la presión ayer.” — “He resisted the pressure.” (preterite) 7. “Yo resistía la presión cuando era joven.” — “I used to resist the pressure.” (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 {verb} stays the same. 8. “Nosotros resistiremos la presión mañana.” — “We will resist the pressure.” (future) 9. “Tú has resistido la presión hoy.” — “you have resisted the pressure.” (present-perfect) 10. “Espero que yo resista la presión.” — “I hope that I resist the pressure.” (present-subjunctive)

More everyday uses

Two more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action. 11. “Vosotros resistís la presión cada semana.” — “You resist the pressure.” 12. “Ellos resisten la presión normalmente.” — “They resist the pressure.”

resistir 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 resistir appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.

Dialogue at home in the evening

Ana: “¿Tú resistes la presión?” — Do you resist the pressure?

Luis: “Sí, yo resisto la presión cada día. Es parte de mi rutina.” — Yes, I resist the pressure every day. It is part of my routine.

Ana: “¿Y ayer? ¿También resistes la presión?” — And yesterday? Did you resist the pressure too?

Luis: “Sí, ayer yo resistí la presión. Mañana nosotros resistiremos la presión otra vez.” — Yes, yesterday I resisted the pressure. Tomorrow we will resist the pressure again.

A short paragraph

Él resiste la presión cada día — that one sentence already tells you a lot about how resistir works in real Spanish: who does it, when, and with what. Around it you can build a whole paragraph: what happened yesterday, what is happening now, and what will happen tomorrow, all with the same verb. When you write your own paragraph, start with the present — yo resisto la presión — then add one past sentence and one future sentence, and you have practised three tenses with one verb. That is the fastest way to make resistir yours: use it in a story, not only in a table.

Common mistakes

Forgetting the accent in the preterite

The yo preterite form is resistí, with an accent on the stressed vowel. Writing it without the accent — resisti — is a spelling error, and in speech the stress lands in the wrong place. Preterite yo forms that end in a vowel carry that accent, so check it every time you write the preterite of resistir.

Mixing up present and preterite nosotros

For resistir, the nosotros form is the same in the present and the preterite: resistimos. Only the context tells you which tense is meant, so pay attention to the time words around it — cada día points to the present, ayer points to the preterite. Do not invent a different form for one of the tenses.

Using ser instead of haber in perfect tenses

Spanish perfect tenses always use haber, never ser: yo he resistido la presión. English speakers sometimes reach for soy because English uses to be in some passives, but soy resistido is not the present perfect of resistir — it is a passive construction with a different meaning.

Confusing resistir with resultar

resistir and resultar look similar, and learners mix them up. They are different verbs with different meanings, so check which one the sentence needs before you conjugate. If you can substitute the English meaning of resistir — resist — the sentence needs resistir; if it needs the meaning of resultar, use that verb instead.

Using the indicative after "espero que"

After espero que (I hope that), Spanish needs the subjunctive: Espero que yo resista la presión. Using the indicative — Espero que yo resisto — is one of the most frequent learner errors with resistir. Whenever the main clause expresses a wish, doubt or emotion, switch to the subjunctive.

Quiz

Test yourself on the forms above. Choose the best answer, then check the key below.

1. What is the yo form of resistir in the present?

  • A. resistes
  • B. resiste
  • C. resistimos
  • D. resisto

2. What is the tu form of resistir in the preterite?

  • A. resistimos
  • B. resististe
  • C. resistí
  • D. resistió

3. What is the el form of resistir in the imperfect?

  • A. resistías
  • B. resistíamos
  • C. resistíais
  • D. resistía

4. What is the nosotros form of resistir in the future?

  • A. resistirá
  • B. resistiremos
  • C. resistiré
  • D. resistirás

5. What is the vosotros form of resistir in the present perfect?

  • A. he resistido
  • B. has resistido
  • C. ha resistido
  • D. habéis resistido

6. What is the ellos form of resistir in the present subjunctive?

  • A. resista
  • B. resistan
  • C. resista
  • D. resistas

7. What is the yo form of resistir in the preterite?

  • A. resististe
  • B. resistió
  • C. resistimos
  • D. resistí

8. What is the tu form of resistir in the imperfect?

  • A. resistíamos
  • B. resistías
  • C. resistía
  • D. resistía

9. What is the el form of resistir in the future?

  • A. resistiré
  • B. resistirás
  • C. resistiremos
  • D. resistirá

10. What is the nosotros form of resistir in the conditional?

  • A. resistiría
  • B. resistiríamos
  • C. resistiría
  • D. resistirías

Answer key

  1. resisto — The present table gives yo = resisto.
  2. resististe — The preterite table gives tu = resististe.
  3. resistía — The imperfect table gives el = resistía.
  4. resistiremos — The future table gives nosotros = resistiremos.
  5. habéis resistido — The present perfect table gives vosotros = habéis resistido.
  6. resistan — The present subjunctive table gives ellos = resistan.
  7. resistí — The preterite table gives yo = resistí.
  8. resistías — The imperfect table gives tu = resistías.
  9. resistirá — The future table gives el = resistirá.
  10. resistiríamos — The conditional table gives nosotros = resistiríamos.

Frequently asked questions

How do I use resistir in a sentence?

Put the subject first, then the conjugated form, then the rest: “Yo resisto la presión.” — “I resist the pressure.” Change the form for the person and the tense, but keep the sentence pattern the same.

What is the most useful form of resistir to learn first?

Learn the present yo form resisto first, then the preterite yo form resistí and the participle resistido. With those three you can talk about the present, the past and the perfect tenses. Add the gerund resistiendo next, and you can describe actions in progress too.

Is resistir reflexive?

No — resistir is not reflexive. It takes a direct object, not a reflexive pronoun: yo resisto la presión. Do not add me or se to it unless the sentence genuinely needs a pronoun for another reason.

Where can I see the full conjugation of resistir?

On the main conjugation page for resistir, which has every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle, plus notes, examples and a quiz. The present-tense page covers one tense in depth if that is what you need right now.

Related links