Sobrevivir Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb sobrevivir means to survive, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Sobrevivir means to survive, and it is used for surviving an accident, a war, a crisis and a hard winter: sobrevivir al accidente, sobrevivir a la crisis. It takes a for what is survived. It is a regular -ir verb. Like every Spanish verb, sobrevivir 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 sobrevivo al accidente en la carretera, and in the preterite you say sobreviví sin agua en el desierto. 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: sobrevivir
- English: to survive
- Verb type: regular -ir verb
- Ending: -ir
- Gerund: sobreviviendo
- Past participle: sobrevivido
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + sobrevivido)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for sobrevivir, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Sobrevivir takes a: sobrevivo al accidente. It is fully regular: sobreviví, sobrevivía, sobreviviré.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for sobrevivir. 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 | sobrevivo |
| tú | sobrevives |
| él/ella/Ud. | sobrevive |
| nosotros/as | sobrevivimos |
| vosotros/as | sobrevivís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sobreviven |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | sobreviví |
| tú | sobreviviste |
| él/ella/Ud. | sobrevivió |
| nosotros/as | sobrevivimos |
| vosotros/as | sobrevivisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sobrevivieron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | sobrevivía |
| tú | sobrevivías |
| él/ella/Ud. | sobrevivía |
| nosotros/as | sobrevivíamos |
| vosotros/as | sobrevivíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sobrevivían |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | sobreviviré |
| tú | sobrevivirás |
| él/ella/Ud. | sobrevivirá |
| nosotros/as | sobreviviremos |
| vosotros/as | sobreviviréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sobrevivirán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | sobreviviría |
| tú | sobrevivirías |
| él/ella/Ud. | sobreviviría |
| nosotros/as | sobreviviríamos |
| vosotros/as | sobreviviríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sobrevivirían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he sobrevivido |
| tú | has sobrevivido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha sobrevivido |
| nosotros/as | hemos sobrevivido |
| vosotros/as | habéis sobrevivido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han sobrevivido |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había sobrevivido |
| tú | habías sobrevivido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había sobrevivido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos sobrevivido |
| vosotros/as | habíais sobrevivido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían sobrevivido |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré sobrevivido |
| tú | habrás sobrevivido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá sobrevivido |
| nosotros/as | habremos sobrevivido |
| vosotros/as | habréis sobrevivido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán sobrevivido |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría sobrevivido |
| tú | habrías sobrevivido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría sobrevivido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos sobrevivido |
| vosotros/as | habríais sobrevivido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían sobrevivido |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | sobreviva |
| tú | sobrevivas |
| él/ella/Ud. | sobreviva |
| nosotros/as | sobrevivamos |
| vosotros/as | sobreviváis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sobrevivan |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | sobreviviera |
| tú | sobrevivieras |
| él/ella/Ud. | sobreviviera |
| nosotros/as | sobreviviéramos |
| vosotros/as | sobrevivierais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sobrevivieran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | sobrevive |
| él/ella/Ud. | sobreviva |
| nosotros/as | sobrevivamos |
| vosotros/as | sobrevivid |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sobrevivan |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | sobrevivas |
| él/ella/Ud. | sobreviva |
| nosotros/as | sobrevivamos |
| vosotros/as | sobreviváis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sobrevivan |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | sobreviviendo | with estar for the progressive: estoy sobreviviendo |
| Past participle | sobrevivido | with haber for the perfect tenses: he sobrevivido |
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 sobrevivir, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Sobrevivo al accidente en la carretera. 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 sobrevivir, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, sobreviví a la crisis económica. 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 sobrevivir, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, sobrevivía sin agua en el desierto. 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 sobrevivir, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, sobreviviré al invierno en la montaña. 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 sobrevivir, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Sobreviviría al accidente en la carretera 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 sobrevivir, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he sobrevivido a la crisis económica. 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 sobrevivir, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había sobrevivido sin agua en el desierto 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 sobrevivir, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré sobrevivido al invierno en la montaña. 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 sobrevivir, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría sobrevivido al accidente en la carretera 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 sobrevivir, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él sobreviva a la crisis económica. 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 sobrevivir, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él sobreviviera sin agua en el desierto, 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 sobrevivir, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Sobrevive al invierno en la montaña! 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 sobrevivir, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No sobrevivas al accidente en la carretera. 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 sobrevivir, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Sobrevivo al accidente en la carretera. — I survive the road accident.
- Sobrevive a la crisis económica. — He/she survives the economic crisis.
- Ayer, sobreviví sin agua en el desierto. — Yesterday, I survived without water in the desert.
- Antes, nosotros sobrevivíamos al invierno en la montaña. — Before, we used to survive the winter in the mountains.
- Mañana, tú sobrevivirás al accidente en la carretera. — Tomorrow, you will survive the road accident.
- Yo sobreviviría a la crisis económica si tuviera más tiempo. — I would survive the economic crisis if I had more time.
- Él ha sobrevivido sin agua en el desierto. — He has survived without water in the desert.
- Espero que él sobreviva al invierno en la montaña. — I hope he survives the winter in the mountains.
- Yo ya había sobrevivido al accidente en la carretera antes de salir. — I had already survived the road accident before leaving.
- Ellos sobrevivían a la crisis económica cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to survive the economic crisis when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo sobrevive al accidente en la carretera. — Right: Yo sobrevivo al accidente en la carretera. — The person matters: sobrevive is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is sobrevivo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo sobrevivo a la crisis económica. — Right: Ayer yo sobreviví a la crisis económica. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: sobrevivo is happening now, while sobreviví is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating sobrevivir and vivir as identical in every context. — Right: Sobrevivir means to survive, while vivir means to live. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: sobrevivir fits sentences such as Sobrevivo al accidente en la carretera, while vivir belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy sobrevivido a la crisis económica. — Right: Yo he sobrevivido a la crisis económica. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he sobrevivido, has sobrevivido, ha sobrevivido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo sobreviví sin agua en el desierto todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo sobrevivía sin agua en el desierto todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (sobrevivía), not the preterite. The preterite (sobreviví) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on sobrevivir. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ al accidente en la carretera. (present tense) A. sobrevivo B. sobrevives C. sobrevive D. sobrevivimos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ a la crisis económica. (preterite) A. sobreviví B. sobreviviste C. sobrevivimos D. sobrevivió
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ sin agua en el desierto. (imperfect) A. sobrevivías B. sobrevivo C. sobrevivíamos D. sobrevivía
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ al invierno en la montaña. (future) A. sobreviviremos B. sobrevivirás C. sobreviviré D. sobrevivirá
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ al accidente en la carretera si pudiera. (conditional) A. sobreviviría B. sobrevivirías C. sobreviviríamos D. sobrevivo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ a la crisis económica. (present subjunctive) A. sobrevivas B. sobrevivamos C. sobrevivo D. sobreviva
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ sin agua en el desierto, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. sobreviviéramos B. sobrevivo C. sobreviviera D. sobrevivieras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ al invierno en la montaña. (present perfect) A. ha sobrevivido B. hemos sobrevivido C. he sobrevivido D. has sobrevivido
Complete the command: ¡___ al accidente en la carretera! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. sobrevive B. sobreviva C. sobrevivamos D. sobrevivid
Which is the gerund of sobrevivir, used with estar for the progressive? A. sobrevivido B. sobrevivo C. sobreviví D. sobreviviendo
Answer key
- sobrevivo — The yo present tense of sobrevivir is sobrevivo.
- sobrevivió — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of sobrevivir is sobrevivió.
- sobrevivíamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of sobrevivir is sobrevivíamos.
- sobrevivirás — The tú future of sobrevivir is sobrevivirás.
- sobreviviría — The yo conditional of sobrevivir is sobreviviría.
- sobreviva — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of sobrevivir is sobreviva.
- sobreviviera — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of sobrevivir is sobreviviera.
- hemos sobrevivido — The nosotros/as present perfect of sobrevivir is hemos sobrevivido.
- sobrevive — The affirmative tú imperative of sobrevivir is sobrevive.
- sobreviviendo — The gerund of sobrevivir is sobreviviendo: estoy sobreviviendo. The participle sobrevivido is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does sobrevivir mean in English?
Sobrevivir means to survive. It is used in everyday situations such as Sobrevivo al accidente en la carretera. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is sobrevivir regular or irregular?
Sobrevivir 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 sobrevivo in the present and sobreviví in the preterite.
What is the difference between sobrevivir and vivir?
Sobrevivir means to survive, while vivir means to live. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use sobrevivir when you mean to survive, as in Sobrevivo al accidente en la carretera, and use vivir for to live. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I survive” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo sobreviví a la crisis económica. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo sobrevivía sin agua en el desierto. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he sobrevivido a la crisis económica.
How do I practise sobrevivir?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the sobrevivir examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Sobrevivir in the present tense — the full present-tense table for sobrevivir.
- Sobrevivir examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for sobrevivir.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Suprimir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with sobrevivir.
- Urgir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with sobrevivir.
- Unir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with sobrevivir.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.