la buena vida
/la bwena bida/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "the good life" is said as la buena vida.
This phrase can refer to both a life of luxury and material comfort, or a life of moral and spiritual fulfillment, depending on the context.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a literal translation of "the good life", where la is the feminine singular article, buena is the feminine singular adjective for "good" and vida is the feminine singular noun for "life".
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the action of "living the good life", you use the verb vivir followed by the phrase.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the concept of la buena vida is closely linked to sobremesa, the custom of staying at the table for long conversations after a meal has ended.
- While la buena vida can mean a life of luxury, in some Latin American countries, saying someone 'vive la buena vida' can imply they are being lazy or avoiding work.
- The word vida comes from the Proto-Italic root *gʷītā, which is a distant linguistic relative of the English word 'wit' in its oldest sense of 'life' or 'consciousness'.
Examples in context
- La buena vida es aquella inspirada por el amor y guiada por el conocimiento.The good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge.This sentence shows how to use la buena vida when discussing a life inspired by love and knowledge.Tatoeba #924104 by Shishir, translation #411788 by Scott
- Me esfuerzo cada día para alcanzar la buena vida a través de un trabajo arduo y honesto.I strive every day to achieve the good life through hard and honest work.
- ¡Qué gusto sería vivir una vida de ensueño en una playa paradisíaca!How wonderful it would be to live a dream life on a paradisiacal beach!
- Ellos siempre buscan la buena vida.They are always looking for the good life.
Example conversation
Two friends are chatting at a cafe about their retirement plans.
- María¿Quieres retirarte en la playa para disfrutar la buena vida?Do you want to retire at the beach to enjoy the good life?
- JavierSí, ese es mi gran sueño, María.Yes, that is my big dream, María.
- MaríaJavier, te mereces descansar y ser feliz.Javier, you deserve to rest and be happy.
- JavierTienes razón, pronto llegará ese momento.You are right, that moment will arrive soon.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries la, vida, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
