vivimos
“vivimos” means “we live” in Spanish. It has 4 different meanings depending on context:
we live, we are living
📝 In Action
Vivimos en una ciudad pequeña con mucha historia.
A1We live in a small city with a lot of history.
¿Dónde vivís vosotros? Nosotros vivimos cerca del parque.
A2Where do you all live? We live near the park.
we are alive, we exist
📝 In Action
Mientras tengamos salud, ¡vivimos bien!
A1As long as we have health, we live well!
No solo respiramos, sino que de verdad vivimos cada momento.
B1We don't just breathe, but we truly live every moment.
we experience, we are going through
Also: we live through
📝 In Action
Vivimos momentos de mucha incertidumbre económica.
B1We are experiencing moments of great economic uncertainty.
Aunque la situación es difícil, vivimos con optimismo.
B2Although the situation is difficult, we live with optimism.
we make a living, we subsist
Also: we live on
📝 In Action
Vivimos de nuestro trabajo en la agricultura.
B2We make a living from our work in agriculture.
Afortunadamente, no vivimos al día, podemos ahorrar un poco.
C1Fortunately, we don't live hand-to-mouth (live day by day); we can save a little.
Indicative
Present
Imperfect
Preterite
Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: vivimos
Question 1 of 2
Which of these sentences uses 'vivimos' to mean 'we make a living'?
📚 More Resources
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
The word comes from the Latin verb *vivere*, which meant 'to live' or 'to be alive'. It has maintained its core meaning consistently throughout the centuries.
First recorded: 10th century (as part of early Romance languages)
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'vivimos' appear in two different tenses (present and preterite)?
That's a great question! In Spanish, for '-ir' verbs like 'vivir', the 'nosotros' (we) form is identical in both the simple past (preterite) and the present tense. Context or time markers (like 'ayer' or 'hoy') always clarify which tense is intended. For example: 'Hoy vivimos aquí' (Today, we live here) vs. 'Ayer vivimos un terremoto' (Yesterday, we experienced an earthquake).
How can I tell if 'vivimos' means 'we live' or 'we are living'?
Spanish uses 'vivimos' for both meanings. If you want to emphasize that the action is happening right now, you can use the continuous form: 'Estamos viviendo'. Otherwise, 'vivimos' is flexible and covers both the general habit ('we live here') and the current action ('we are living through this crisis').