existían

Existían is the imperfect indicative form of the Spanish verb existir, used to express that something or someone existed in the past. It functions to describe the existence of beings, objects, or conditions over a period in the past, and can be used in both concrete and abstract contexts. For example, “En esa época existían muchos pueblos rurales” or “Antes existían leyes que protegían a los trabajadores.”

Etymology and meaning: existir comes from Latin existere, formed from ex- “out” or “forth” plus sistere “to cause to stand” or “to stand.” The Spanish verb entered the language through medieval Latin and evolved into the modern existir with a full set of tenses and moods. Existir is a synonym of haber in some senses but is used more specifically to denote the physical or conceptual presence of something.

Conjugation and forms: Existir is a regular -ir verb in the imperfect tense. The forms for the imperfect indicative are existía (yo, él/ella/usted), existías (tú), existíamos (nosotros/nosotras), existíais (vosotros/vosotras), existían (ellos/ellas/ustedes). Thus existían corresponds to “they existed” or “there existed” in past contexts. In contrast, existieron is the preterite form (they existed at a specific time), and existía is the third-person singular form.

Usage notes: Existían is common in narrative and descriptive prose, as well as historical or sociological writing, to indicate past existence or occurrence. It can appear in impersonal constructions like “existían varias opciones” and often contrasts with haber-based expressions such as “había” to convey nuance about the nature or immediacy of existence.

See also: existir, existencia, verb conjugation, imperfect tense.