¡viva España!
/ˈbiba esˈpaɲa/word by word
The English phrase "long live spain" is translated into Spanish as ¡viva España!
The phrase ¡viva España! is used to express patriotic fervor or nationalistic pride, often during celebrations, holidays or political events.
What does it mean word for word?
The word viva is the third-person singular present subjunctive form of the verb vivir (to live), used here to express a wish.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈbiba esˈpaɲa/
Did you know?
- The name España may have originated from the Punic words for 'island of the hyrax', a small mammal. This suggests that early settlers mistook the Iberian Peninsula for an island.
- While ¡viva! expresses a wish for life, it is also used as a standard way to cheer for sports teams or public figures, functioning similarly to 'hooray' in English.
- While ¡viva España! is a standard patriotic cry, it has historically been used by various political factions to signal different ideological allegiances.
Examples in context
- ¡Viva España!Long live Spain!
- En la fiesta gritamos: ¡viva España!At the party we shouted: long live Spain!
- Siempre digo con orgullo: ¡viva España!I always say with pride: long live Spain!
Example conversation
Alejandro and María are watching a national holiday parade.
- Alejandro¡Mira qué bonita es la bandera, viva España!Look how beautiful the flag is, long live Spain!
- MaríaEs verdad, Alejandro, ¡viva España!It's true, Alejandro, long live Spain!
- AlejandroMe encanta este ambiente de celebración.I love this celebratory atmosphere.
- MaríaYo también, es un día muy especial.Me too, it is a very special day.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (viva, España) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries España, CC BY-SA 4.0.
