sobreviviendo
/sobɾebibjendo/from spelling rules
The English word "surviving" is translated into Spanish as sobreviviendo.
sobreviviendo is used to describe the act of continuing to live or exist despite facing a dangerous or difficult situation.
How does it change in a sentence?
sobreviviendo is the gerund form of the infinitive verb sobrevivir.
How do you pronounce it?
/sobɾebibjendo/
What mistakes should you avoid?
If you want to express that you survived a specific event in the past, do not use the gerund sobreviviendo. Instead, use the preterite form sobreviví.
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the word sobrevivir is often used as a colloquial way to say you are 'getting by' financially or emotionally, even if you are not in actual physical danger.
- The prefix sobre in sobreviviendo means 'over' or 'above', suggesting the act of living 'over' or 'beyond' a disaster.
- While English speakers often use the -ing form 'surviving' as a noun or adjective, in Spanish, using the gerund sobreviviendo as a noun is a common grammatical error.
Examples in context
- Quinientos soldados fueron enviados a la ciudad, sobreviviendo menos de la mitad de ellos.Five hundred soldiers were sent to the city, with less than half of them surviving.This sentence shows how to use sobreviviendo to describe a fraction of a group that continued to exist.Tatoeba #1392145 by hayastan, translation #1392348 by Eldad
- Están sobreviviendo a pesar de la tormenta.They are surviving despite the storm.
- Él sigue sobreviviendo en la selva.He is still surviving in the jungle.
Example conversation
Daniel and Sofía are discussing a difficult hiking trip.
- DanielFue un viaje terrible, pero estamos sobreviviendo.It was a terrible trip, but we are surviving.
- SofíaSí, Daniel, aunque apenas tenemos agua.Yes, Daniel, although we barely have water.
- DanielLo importante es que seguimos sobreviviendo juntos.The important thing is that we keep surviving together.
- SofíaTienes razón, Sofía está cansada pero animada.You are right, Sofía is tired but encouraged.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
