How to Say "to subsist" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “to subsist” is “sobrevivir” — B2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
English → SpanishB2
verbB2
to maintain life minimally
Examples
Con ese sueldo, apenas puede sobrevivir.
With that salary, he can barely scrape by.
La empresa logró sobrevivir a la crisis económica.
The company managed to survive (get through) the economic crisis.
Sobreviven a base de arroz y frijoles.
They survive on a diet of rice and beans.
Expressing the Means of Survival
When talking about what you use to barely survive (like food or money), Spanish often uses the preposition 'con' (with) or the phrase 'a base de' (on the basis of): 'Sobrevive con un trabajo' (He survives with one job).
Related Translations
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