esistevate

Esistevate is the second-person plural imperfect indicative form of the Italian verb esistere, meaning "you all existed" or "you used to exist." It is used to describe ongoing or habitual existence in the past and is common in narrative or descriptive contexts.

Morphology and conjugation: esistere is a regular -ere verb. The imperfect conjugation is io esistevo, tu esistevi, lui/lei esisteva, noi esistevamo, voi esistevate, loro esistevano. Therefore, esistevate corresponds to the past continuous sense for the plural subject you.

Usage notes: esistevate describes existence rather than a momentary fact. It can refer to concrete existence (a place, a community) or abstract conditions (beliefs, memories) in the past. In modern Italian, speakers often choose the simpler present form esistete for present existence, and esisteste is less common, with esistevate remaining the standard option for the imperfect.

Examples: "Quando eravamo bambini, voi esistevate solo nei nostri racconti." "Durante il secolo scorso, voi esistevate come una piccola comunità agricola." These illustrate the sense of past existence or presence that no longer applies in the same way.

Etymology and register: esistere derives from Latin existere, meaning to stand forth or to exist. The form esistevate is neutral in register and appropriate for formal writing, academic prose, or narrative storytelling.

See also: esistere, esistono, esiste, esistevano. The imperfect forms of esistere contrast with present forms to express shifts in existence over time.