Exists

/ɪɡˈzɪsts/

Spanish Translation

existe

Part of Speech

  • verb

Word Forms

  • exist
  • existed
  • existing

Etymology

From Latin exsistere, from ex- 'out' + sistere 'to stand'.

Del latín exsistere, de ex- 'fuera' + sistere 'estar de pie'.

Meanings

verb

To have objective reality or being.

Tener realidad objetiva o ser.

Does God exist?

¿Existe Dios?

verb

To live, especially under adverse conditions.

Vivir, especialmente en condiciones adversas.

Many species struggle to exist in the face of deforestation.

Muchas especies luchan por existir frente a la deforestación.

verb

To occur or be found.

Ocurrir o encontrarse.

Problems exist in every society.

Existen problemas en todas las sociedades.

Example Sentences

Poverty still exists in many parts of the world.

La pobreza aún existe en muchas partes del mundo.

The company has existed for over 100 years.

La empresa existe desde hace más de 100 años.

No such thing exists.

Tal cosa no existe.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Phrases

  • to come into existence
    entrar en existencia
  • to cease to exist
    dejar de existir
  • that exists
    que existe

Idioms

  • The early bird catches the worm (something must exist before you can benefit from it.)
    A quien madruga Dios le ayuda
  • If it ain't broke, don't fix it (if something exists without problems, don't try to improve it)
    Si algo funciona, no lo toques
  • Living the dream (to exist in a positive, ideal situation)
    Viviendo el sueño
  • To have the world at your feet (to exist in a position where you can achieve anything)
    Tener el mundo a tus pies
  • To be on cloud nine (to exist in a state of perfect happiness)
    Estar en la gloria

Proverbs

  • Necessity is the mother of invention (the need for something to exist encourages effort towards its creation)
    La necesidad es la madre de la invención
  • Where there's a will, there's a way (if a desire to make something exist is strong enough, you will find a way to make it happen)
    Querer es poder
  • Nothing exists perfectly.
    Nada es perfecto
  • All that glitters is not gold (some things that exist are not what they seem)
    No es oro todo lo que reluce
  • The more things change, the more they stay the same. (Fundamentally, certain things will always exist regardless of surface changes.)
    Cuanto más cambian las cosas, más siguen igual

Usage Notes

Often used in philosophical or scientific contexts.

A menudo se usa en contextos filosóficos o científicos.

Notes for Learners

  • Pay attention to the context when using 'exists'. It's usually used for things that are demonstrably real.

    Presta atención al contexto cuando uses 'existe'. Generalmente se usa para cosas que son demostrablemente reales.

  • Remember the third-person singular form: he/she/it exists.

    Recuerda la forma singular de la tercera persona: él/ella/ello existe.

  • Don't confuse 'exists' with similar-sounding words like 'assist' or 'insist'.

    No confundas 'existe' con palabras de sonido similar como 'asistir' o 'insistir'.

Collocations

  • cease to exist
    dejar de existir
  • continue to exist
    seguir existiendo
  • potentially exist
    existir potencialmente

Common Mistakes

  • Misusing the tense. For example, using 'exists' when you should use 'existed'.

    Usar incorrectamente el tiempo verbal. Por ejemplo, usar 'existe' cuando deberías usar 'existió'.

  • Using 'exist' as a noun. The noun form is 'existence'.

    Usar 'exist' como sustantivo. La forma sustantiva es 'existencia'.

  • Incorrectly conjugating the verb in Spanish (e.g., 'existo' instead of 'existe' in the third person).

Learning Tips

  • Use 'exists' when referring to objective reality, not just subjective feelings.

    Usa 'existe' cuando te refieras a la realidad objetiva, no solo a sentimientos subjetivos.

  • Be mindful of the grammatical tense when using 'exists'.

    Ten en cuenta el tiempo gramatical al usar 'existe'.

  • Consider the context to avoid sounding overly formal or philosophical.

    Considera el contexto para evitar sonar demasiado formal o filosófico.