esiste

Esiste is the third person singular present indicative form of the Italian verb esistere, meaning to exist. It is used to indicate that something has existence or reality, often in statements that assert the presence or reality of a thing, idea, or phenomenon. In everyday language it is common to use esiste to introduce a single item or concept, as in Esiste una soluzione or Esiste un problema da risolvere. For plural subjects, the corresponding form is esistono.

Grammatically, esistere is an irregular verb in the present tense. The full present indicative conjugation is: io esisto, tu esisti, lui/lei esiste, noi esistiamo, voi esistete, loro esistono. The entry point form esiste appears specifically in the third person singular. The imperfect and other tenses follow their own patterns, but esiste remains the form used for the present tense in subject-verb agreement with a singular noun or pronoun.

Etymology and cognates: esistere comes from Latin existere, formed from ex- meaning “out” or “forth” and sistere meaning “to stand.” The Italian word is cognate with English exist and other Romance languages’ forms of “to exist.” The sense of presence or reality is central to all derivatives.

Usage notes: esiste is often contrasted with the colloquial construction c’è (there is) or ci sono (there are). C’è is more common in everyday speech for generic existence, while esiste can emphasize the actual existence of a specific thing or concept, sometimes in a formal or philosophical register. Examples: Esiste una differenza tra teoria e pratica; C'è una differenza tra teoria e pratica.