Why Vivir Is Worth Learning in Chunks
Vivir means to live, but the word that follows it changes everything: en for place, con for company, de for income. Learn the pairings and the verb stops being an exam question.
Pattern 1: Vivir en — "To live in"
The first thing people ask in a new conversation. To say how long, pair it with llevar and a gerund.
- Vivo en Madrid. — I live in Madrid.
- ¿Dónde vives? — Where do you live?
- Llevo dos años viviendo aquí. — I've been living here for two years.
Chunk to learn:
Vivir en + [place]
Pattern 2: Vivir con / solo — Who you live with
Con names the person, and solo (or sola) means alone.
- Vivo con mis padres. — I live with my parents.
- Vivo solo. — I live alone.
- Vive con su pareja. — She lives with her partner.
Chunk to learn:
Vivir con + [person] / Vivir solo
Pattern 3: Vivir de — "To live off"
Use de for the source of income or support.
- Vive de su trabajo. — He lives off his work.
- Vive de la música. — She makes a living from music.
- No se puede vivir del aire. — You can't live on air.
Chunk to learn:
Vivir de + [source]
Pattern 4: Vivir al día — "To live day to day"
For living with little saved and little planned. It can sound sad or carefree depending on context.
- Vivimos al día. — We live from day to day.
- Vive al día, sin pensar en el futuro. — He lives for today, without thinking of the future.
- Es difícil vivir al día. — It's hard to live hand to mouth.
Chunk to learn:
Vivir al día
Pattern 5: ¡Viva! / ¡Vivan! — Cheers
The exclamation of celebration. Use viva for one thing and vivan for several.
- ¡Vivan los novios! — Long live the bride and groom!
- ¡Viva el amor! — Long live love!
- ¡Viva! ¡Lo logramos! — Hooray! We did it!
Chunk to learn:
¡Viva / Vivan + [subject]!
Pattern 6: Vive y deja vivir — Proverbs about life
Two sayings you will hear often: one about tolerance and one about surprise.
- Vive y deja vivir. — Live and let live.
- ¡Hay que vivir para ver! — Wonders never cease!
- Solo se vive una vez. — You only live once.
Chunk to learn:
Vive y deja vivir / Hay que vivir para ver
Living in Spanish
Place, company, income, lifestyle, celebration, and sayings cover most uses. For ongoing actions, see [Estar + Gerund] Chunks.
Start with vivo en… and vive de…. You will use both the next time you speak Spanish.
This post is part of the Spanish Chunk Series — a growing collection of chunk patterns for natural Spanish.