sei vivo?
/ˈsɛj ˈvi.vo/word by word
The English phrase "are you alive?" is translated into Italian as sei vivo?
This phrase is used to ask if a person is still living or if they have survived a dangerous event.
Which one should you use?
The form of the phrase changes depending on the gender and number of the people you are addressing. Use sei vivo? for a male, sei viva? for a female and siete vivi? when addressing a group of people.
How does it change in a sentence?
If the person being addressed is female, the adjective changes from vivo to viva, resulting in sei viva? To ask if a group of people is alive, use the plural form siete vivi?
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈsɛj ˈvi.vo/ (3 syllables, stress on the 1st syllable)
Did you know?
- In Italian, vivo is also used as an adverb to mean 'loudly' or 'strongly', as in parlare vivo meaning to speak up.
- In Italian, the adjective vivo can also mean 'bright' or 'vivid' when describing colors, such as a 'vivid red'.
- While sei vivo? asks about biological life, Italians often use sei ancora qui? meaning 'are you still here?' to check if someone has survived a chaotic situation.
Examples in context
- Ciao Marco, sei vivo?Hey Marco, are you alive?
- Sei vivo?Are you alive?
- Non rispondeva al telefono, quindi mi sono chiesto: sei vivo?He wasn't answering the phone, so I wondered: are you alive?
Example conversation
Giulia calls Alessandro after he missed a long camping trip.
- GiuliaAlessandro, non rispondi mai! Sei vivo?Alessandro, you never answer! Are you alive?
- AlessandroSì, sono vivo, ma non c'era campo.Yes, I am alive, but there was no signal.
- GiuliaMi sono preoccupata molto per te.I was very worried about you.
- AlessandroScusa, Giulia, non volevo spaventarti.Sorry, Giulia, I didn't want to scare you.
