¡viva!
The English phrase 'long live' can be translated into Spanish as ¡viva!, ¡que viva!, ¡vivan!, ¡que vivan! or larga vida.
Meaning: prosper (verb)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| ¡viva! | |
| ¡que viva! | /ke ˈbiba/ (word by word) |
| ¡vivan! | |
| ¡que vivan! | |
| larga vida | /laɾɡa bida/ (from spelling rules) |
The phrase ¡viva! is a common exclamation used to cheer for a person, a country or an idea, such as ¡Viva México!
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase larga vida is a literal translation of 'long life' and functions as a noun phrase.
Which one should you use?
While larga vida is a noun phrase meaning 'long life', ¡viva! is a verb-based exclamation used to cheer for someone or something.
How does it change in a sentence?
Use the singular form ¡viva! when the subject being cheered is a single person, object or concept. Use the plural form ¡vivan! when the subject being cheered consists of multiple people or things.
When do people say it?
In Mexico and Spain, it is traditional to proclaim Viva followed by the name of the country during patriotic celebrations.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking contexts, shouting ¡viva! can be used ironically to mock a person or an idea that has just failed.
- The word que in the phrase ¡que viva! actually comes from the Latin word quid, which means 'what'.
- In formal diplomatic contexts, larga vida is often paired with the word prosperidad to wish for both longevity and wealth.
Examples in context
- ¡Larga vida al rey!Long live the king!This sentence shows how to use larga vida to wish long life to a king.Tatoeba #1182316 by marcelostockle, translation #5006705 by Lindoula
- ¡Larga vida al Emperador!Long live the Emperor!This sentence shows how to use larga vida to wish long life to an Emperor.Tatoeba #569241 by Shishir, translation #569233 by Scott
- ¡Larga vida a la lengua persa!Long live the Persian language!This sentence shows how to use larga vida to wish long life to a language.Tatoeba #1192430 by marcelostockle, translation #513906 by mahdiye
- ¡Larga vida a nuestros padres!Long life to our parents!
- ¡Vivan los novios!Long live the newlyweds!
- ¡Vivan las mujeres luchadoras!Long live the fighting women!
- ¡Viva la alegría!Long live happiness!
- ¡Larga vida, amigo mío!Long life, my friend!
- ¡Viva México!Long live Mexico!
- ¡Viva España!Long live Spain!
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “long live” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (que, viva) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries que, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
