supervivencia
/supeɾbibenθja/from spelling rulesfeminine
The English word survival is translated into Spanish as supervivencia. Wiktionary also lists pervivencia and sobrevivencia.
Meaning: continued existence or life (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| supervivencia | /supeɾbibenθja/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /supeɾbibensja/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
feminine |
| pervivencia | /peɾbiˈbenθja/ /peɾbiˈbensja/ |
feminine |
| sobrevivencia | /sobɾebiˈbenθja/ /sobɾebiˈbensja/ |
feminine |
The term refers to continued existence or life.
Which one should you use?
supervivencia is the standard and most common term for survival. In contrast, sobrevivencia is frequently used in Latin America as a synonym. pervivencia is used to describe the survival or persistence of something abstract, such as a tradition, a custom or a memory, rather than biological survival.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, some people may use sobrevivencia instead of supervivencia. sobrevivencia is frequently used in Latin America as a synonym for supervivencia, whereas supervivencia is more common in Spain.
How does it change in a sentence?
All forms of the word for survival are feminine nouns and require feminine articles like la.
How do you pronounce it?
/supeɾbibenθja/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the concept of survival can be expressed through the verb sobrevivir, which can be used reflexively to describe the act of 'getting by' or barely surviving financially.
- The word sobrevivencia is so common in Latin America that it can lead to regional linguistic debates about whether it is a correct term or a Gallicism influenced by French.
- Spanish speakers often distinguish between supervivencia as the act of staying alive and vivencia as a lived experience, despite the two words sharing a root.
Examples in context
- El instinto de supervivencia es innato.The instinct for survival is innate.This sentence shows how to use supervivencia with the word instinct.Tatoeba #1439363 by Shishir, translation #271730 by onkobo
- La adaptación es la clave de la supervivencia.Adaptation is the key to survival.This sentence shows how to use supervivencia with the word adaptation.Tatoeba #2857841 by Besatnias, translation #1637347 by dimitris
- Jacoba me enseñó a hacer iglúes de supervivencia.Jacoba taught me to make survival igloos.This sentence shows how to use supervivencia as an adjective modifying igloos.Tatoeba #13671039 by Seael, translation #13671042 by frpzzd
- La supervivencia es un tema clave en cualquier organización.Survival is a key topic in any organization.
- Después del accidente, no sabía cómo iba a sobrevivir.After the accident, I didn't know how I was going to survive.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and María are discussing a documentary about the wild.
- JavierEste documental sobre la supervivencia es increíble.This documentary about survival is incredible.
- MaríaSí, es difícil asegurar la supervivencia en la selva.Yes, it is difficult to ensure survival in the jungle.
- JavierLos animales luchan cada día por su supervivencia.The animals fight every day for their survival.
- MaríaTienes razón, Javier, la naturaleza es muy dura.You are right, Javier, nature is very harsh.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “survival” translations and entries supervivencia, pervivencia, sobrevivencia, 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.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
