Inklingo

How to Say "lifetime" in Spanish

English → Spanish

vida

/bee-dah//ˈbi.ða/

NounA2General
Use 'vida' to refer to the entire duration of a person's existence or the general concept of life.
A simple timeline showing a person's journey from baby to old age, representing a lifetime.

Examples

Él trabajó en la misma empresa toda su vida.

He worked at the same company his whole life.

He vivido aquí toda mi vida.

I have lived here my whole life.

En su vida, viajó por todo el mundo.

In his lifetime, he traveled all over the world.

días

NounB2General/Figurative
Use 'días' in a more figurative sense, often referring to a specific period or phase of life, like 'in my student days'.

Examples

Recuerdo con cariño mis días de juventud.

I fondly remember my youthful days.

existencia

/eh-sees-TEN-see-ah//eɡsisˈtenθja/

NounC1Technical/Formal
Use 'existencia' when referring to the period of usefulness or functionality of an object or system.
A visual sequence showing a small acorn next to a young sapling, which is next to a massive, fully grown oak tree, all side-by-side on a grassy hill, illustrating the passage of time.

Examples

La existencia de esta tecnología es limitada.

The lifespan of this technology is limited.

La existencia útil de esta batería es de aproximadamente tres años.

The useful duration (or lifetime) of this battery is approximately three years.

El museo protege documentos de larga existencia.

The museum protects documents with a long lifespan.

General vs. Specific Duration

Learners often use 'vida' for everything, but remember that 'existencia' specifically refers to the functional duration of objects, not people. 'Días' is more for phases of life or past periods, not the entire span of existence.

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