Existir means 'to exist', and it is a regular -ir verb that adds weight to writing about society, ideas and problems. Existen muchas soluciones (many solutions exist), el problema existe (the problem exists). Because pointing out that something exists — or does not — is part of building an argument, existir is useful in higher-level essays, often in the third person. It overlaps in some contexts with haber (hay, 'there is/are'). As a regular -ir verb the conjugation is predictable, and the related noun la existencia is worth knowing too.
Quick facts
Existir (to exist) is a regular -ir verb.
Real sentences across different tenses — the kind of thing you'd actually say or write.
El problema existe (the problem exists).
Existen muchas soluciones (many solutions exist).
Useful for arguing a point.
Close to hay (there is/are).
Fixed expressions worth knowing — they come up in listening, reading and writing tasks.
Idiomatic expressions
Existir is a regular verb. Make sure you know the endings for each tense — especially the preterite and subjunctive, which is where marks are most often lost.
existir is a regular -ir verb — it follows the standard -ir pattern in every tense. That makes it a good one to drill: if you know existir, you know the template for all regular -ir verbs.
Type conjugations from memory and get instant feedback. That's how you actually build the automatic recall the exam needs — not from reading tables.
Practice existir now →Three questions. Press Enter to check each answer.
yo: existo, tú: existes, él: existe, nosotros: existimos, vosotros: existís, ellos: existen
Existir is a regular -ir verb following the standard -ir pattern.
Use existir in multiple tenses to show range — present, preterite and future at minimum. This is a key criterion for higher GCSE marks.
Verbs that are easy to confuse with existir or that behave like it.
This reference is written for UK GCSE and A-Level Spanish learners and their teachers. It is designed for exam revision: every form is checked against standard conjugation rules, and the examples reflect the registers and topics that come up in the AQA, Edexcel and Eduqas specifications. Existir is a high-frequency verb and appears often in exam papers. For active recall, use the free practice tool rather than only reading the tables.