nueve vidas
/nwebe bidas/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for "nine lives" is nueve vidas.
This phrase is used to describe durability or a sense of near immunity to damage.
Meaning: durability, near immunity to damage (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries, it is common to refer to seven lives instead of nine lives using the phrase siete vidas como los gatos.
When do people say it?
Tiene siete vidas como los gatos is an informal expression used to convey the idea of nine lives.
Did you know?
- The English word 'nine' and the Spanish word nueve are distant linguistic cousins, both descending from the same Proto-Indo-European root *h₁néwn̥.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, the number seven holds the magical status that nine holds in English when it comes to the perceived luck or resilience of cats.
- Because vida is a feminine noun, any adjective used to describe these lives must also be feminine, regardless of the gender of the person who has them.
Examples in context
- Según la leyenda, los gatos tienen nueve vidas.According to folktales, cats have nine lives.This sentence is useful for referencing the legend of cats having nueve vidas.Tatoeba #11967483 by Eremon, translation #1636142 by ari_diary
- Un gato tiene nueve vidas.A cat has nine lives.This sentence is useful for stating that a single cat has nueve vidas.Tatoeba #1647525 by Zaghawa, translation #282019 by CM
- Los gatos tienen nueve vidas.Cats have nine lives.This sentence is useful for stating that cats in general have nueve vidas.Tatoeba #509718 by darinmex, translation #453045 by CM
- Los resultados de este experimento demuestran que los gatos tienen nueve vidas.The results of this experiment demonstrate that cats have nine lives.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Daniel are talking about a cat that survived a fall.
- Sofía¡Ese gato realmente tiene nueve vidas!That cat really has nine lives!
- DanielSí, es increíble que esté bien.Yes, it is incredible that he is okay.
- SofíaParece que tiene nueve vidas hoy.It seems he has nine lives today.
- DanielDefinitivamente es un gato muy fuerte.He is definitely a very strong cat.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nueve, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
