estoy vivo
/estoi bibo/from spelling rules
In Spanish, 'I am alive' is said as estoy vivo.
The phrase is a statement used to express that one is not dead.
What does it mean word for word?
The word estoy is the first-person singular present indicative of estar (to be), and vivo is the adjective for 'alive'.
Which one should you use?
While estoy vivo describes the state of being alive, the phrase soy vivo has a different meaning in many Spanish-speaking regions, where it implies 'I am clever' or 'I am sharp' as a personality trait.
How does it change in a sentence?
This phrase uses the verb estar rather than ser because being alive is treated as a state or condition in this context. The adjective must agree with the gender of the speaker: if the speaker is female, the adjective changes from vivo to viva (e.g., estoy viva).
Did you know?
- The word vivo shares a deep linguistic root with the English word 'quick', which originally meant 'alive' in Old English.
- In some regions, calling someone vivo is an insult, implying they are taking unfair advantage of others to get ahead.
- The word vivo shares an ancient ancestor with the English word 'life', both stemming from the Proto-Indo-European root *gʷih₃wós.
Examples in context
- Estoy vivo aunque no esté dando ninguna señal de vida.I am alive even though I am not giving any sign of life.This sentence uses estoy vivo to show how to express being alive even without giving signs of life.Tatoeba #945888 by burntsoap, translation #2053 by laurafults
- ¡No te preocupes, todavía estoy vivo!Don't worry, I am still alive!
- Después de ese susto, me alegra saber que estoy vivo.After that scare, I am glad to know that I am alive.
Example conversation
Mateo survives a scary accident and speaks to Lucía.
- MateoLucía, ¡estoy vivo!Lucía, I am alive!
- Lucía¡Menos mal, Mateo!Thank goodness, Mateo!
- MateoFue un susto muy grande.It was a huge scare.
- LucíaLo más importante es que estás bien.The most important thing is that you are okay.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries vivo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
