vivir
/biˈbiɾ/
The Spanish verb for "to live" is vivir.
vivir is the standard and most widely used way to express both the act of being alive and the act of residing in a specific location. When you want to indicate the location where you reside, you commonly use the preposition en after the verb. If you need to specify how long you have been living in a place, you can use the phrase desde hace followed by a time expression. For temporary living situations, rather than using vivir, it is more common to use the verb quedarse, which means "to stay".
How does it change in a sentence?
vivir is an -ir verb and follows the standard conjugation pattern for that group in the present tense. The forms include vivo (I live), vives (you live), vive (he/she/it lives), vivimos (we live), vivís (you all live) and viven (they live). The gerund form is viviendo, which is used for continuous actions, such as "I am living".
How do you pronounce it?
/biˈbiɾ/
Did you know?
- The Spanish verb vivir evolved from Old Spanish forms such as bevir and bivir before settling into its modern spelling.
- In Spanish, the word vivo can be used as an adjective to describe a color that is 'bright' or 'vivid' rather than a person who is residing somewhere.
- The verb convivir is a derivative of vivir that specifically shifts the focus from the act of living to the social act of 'coexisting' or 'living together' with others.
Examples in context
- Es hora de vivir.It's time to live.This sentence uses vivir to express the general concept of living.Tatoeba #9423953 by Shishir, translation #10573636 by DJ_Saidez
- ¿Dónde vas a vivir?Where are you going to live?This sentence uses vivir to ask about a future place of residence.Tatoeba #4784119 by alegarvid, translation #2892769 by CK
- No quiero vivir así.I don't want to live like this.This sentence uses vivir to express a desire regarding one's way of life.Tatoeba #2139134 by hayastan, translation #1230495 by alec
- Vivo en Madrid.I live in Madrid.
- Resido en Barcelona por motivos laborales.I reside in Barcelona due to work reasons.
- ¿Dónde vives tú?Where do you live?
- Moro en un pequeño pueblo cerca del mar.I live in a small town near the sea.
- Vivo en una casa grande.I live in a big house.
- Vivo en Madrid desde hace tres años.I've been living in Madrid for three years.
- Me quedo en un hotel durante mi viaje.I'm staying in a hotel during my trip.
- Resido en este país de forma permanente.I reside permanently in this country.
- 373 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are talking about their future plans.
- MateoQuiero vivir en otra ciudad.I want to live in another city.
- ElenaYo también quiero vivir cerca del mar.I also want to live near the sea.
- Mateo¿Crees que es posible vivir allí?Do you think it's possible to live there?
- ElenaSí, podemos intentar vivir en España.Yes, we can try to live in Spain.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry vivir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries vivir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
