Insistir

Insistir is a verb used in both Portuguese and Spanish with related meanings centered on persistence in asserting, demanding, or continuing an action. In Portuguese, it often denotes persisting with a request, emphasizing a point, or continuing a course of action despite opposition. In Spanish, insistir similarly expresses repeated emphasis or demand, and can carry a sense of nagging if overused. In English, the core idea is to “insist.”

Etymology and cognates: Insistir derives from the Latin insistere, meaning to stand on or persevere. This root gave rise to related verbs in several Romance languages, all conveying a sense of steadfastness or repeated emphasis.

Usage and grammar: In Portuguese, insistir is typically followed by the preposition em (insistir em algo, insistir em fazer algo) or by a clause introduced by que, often with the subjunctive (insistiu em que eu fosse). The verb is regular in its conjugation: present indicative forms include eu insisto, você insiste, nós insistimos, eles insistem; gerund is insistindo. In Spanish, insistir takes the preposition en (insistir en algo, insistir en hacer algo) or a subjunctive clause (insistió en que viniera). Its present indicative forms are yo insisto, tú insistes, él insiste, nosotros insistimos, vosotros insistís, ustedes insisten; gerund is insistiendo. Subjunctive forms include que yo insistiera (o insistiese) and related variants, depending on dialect.

Usage notes: The term can express firm persistence in argument or demand and may convey nagging in informal contexts. In formal writing, alternatives such as perseverar or mantener la posición can be preferred when a more neutral nuance is desired. Related nouns include insistencia (Portuguese) and insistencia/insistencia (Spanish).

See also: persistir, manter, perseverar; insistência (Portuguese) / insistencia (Spanish).