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vivere
/ˈviːve.re/
to live
Voglio vivere in Italia per un anno.
I want to live in Italy for a year.
neutral
To be alive; to exist as a conscious being.
Gli animali vivono per mangiare, ma noi mangiamo per vivere.
Animals live to eat, but we eat to live.
Used for both biological existence and general lifestyle.
neutral
To experience life in a particular way; to lead a life.
Lei vive felicemente con la sua famiglia.
She lives happily with her family.
Often used with adverbs describing lifestyle or emotional state.
neutral
To spend one's life in a specific place or manner.
Ha vissuto a Roma per trent'anni.
He lived in Rome for thirty years.
Common in past tense for describing residence or experience.
Collocations
vivere feliceto live happilyvivere la vitato live life to the fullestvivere insiemeto live togethervivere d'amoreto live on love
Synonyms
Antonyms
Pro Tip
Conjugation Tip
Remember that 'vivere' is irregular in the present tense. Practice the conjugation: vivo, vivi, vive, viviamo, vivete, vivono.
Gold Rule
Literal vs. Figurative Meaning
'Vivere' can mean both biological existence ('to be alive') and lifestyle ('to live a certain way'). Context determines the meaning.
Word Origin
From Latin 'vivere', from Proto-Italic '*gʷi-', from Proto-Indo-European '*gʷeyh₃-'. Related to 'vita' (life) and 'vivo' (alive).
Usage Notes
The verb 'vivere' is irregular in the present tense: io vivo, tu vivi, lui/lei vive, noi viviamo, voi vivete, loro vivono. The past participle is 'vissuto'.
Word Breakdown
viv-
root related to life
root-ere
infinitive verb ending
suffixDizionario Italiano-Inglese