vivía
“vivía” means “I used to live” in Spanish (First person, habitual past action).
I used to live, He/She/It used to live, I was living, He/She/It was living
Also: dwelled
📝 In Action
Cuando era niño, yo vivía en el campo.
A1When I was a child, I used to live in the countryside.
Mi abuela vivía sola en esa casa antigua.
A2My grandmother lived alone in that old house (describing a past situation).
Ella vivía muy preocupada por el futuro de sus hijos.
B1She was living (feeling) very worried about her children's future.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
Translate to Spanish
Words that translate to "vivía" in Spanish:
dwelled→✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: vivía
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'vivía' to describe a repeated action in the past?
📚 More Resources
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes directly from the Latin verb *vivere*, meaning 'to live' or 'to be alive.' The imperfect ending -ía is a standard pattern for all Spanish verbs ending in -er and -ir.
First recorded: Old Spanish (around 10th-13th century) as a conjugation of the verb 'vivir'.
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'vivía' mean both 'I used to live' and 'he used to live'?
This is common in Spanish verb conjugations! Unlike English, the 'yo' (I) and 'él/ella/usted' (he/she/you formal) forms are often exactly the same in the Imperfect tense. You usually figure out who is being discussed based on the context of the conversation.