vivir
Lemma Details
Translation: to live; to reside; to exist; to experience
Part of Speech: verb
Etymology: From Latin 'vīvere' (to live, be alive). It shares the same Indo-European root (*gʷih₃w-) as English words like 'vital', 'vivid', 'survive', and 'revive'. The connection between 'vivir' and these English cognates helps illustrate how the concept of life and living has maintained semantic consistency across language evolution.
Commonality: 95%
Guessability: 80%
Register: neutral
Mnemonics
- Think of 'vivid' in English - when something is vivid, it's full of life, just like 'vivir' means 'to live'.
- The word 'vivir' sounds like 'we veer' - imagine veering through life's journey.
- Connect it to 'survival' - to survive is to continue to live.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Example Wordforms
Cultural Context
In Spanish-speaking cultures, 'vivir' encompasses not just the biological fact of being alive but also carries connotations about quality of life and experiences. Phrases like 'vivir bien' or 'vivir la vida' reflect cultural values around enjoying life fully.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'vivir' means 'to live', 'beber' means 'to drink'. They look somewhat similar with their 'v' sounds and '-er' endings, but have completely different meanings.
Confused word:
Bebo agua todos los días.
I drink water every day.
Notes: Both are regular verbs but belong to different conjugation groups: 'vivir' is an -ir verb while 'beber' is an -er verb.
Mnemonic: Remember: 'vivir' has 'vi' twice (v-i-v-i-r), connecting to 'vital' for life, while 'beber' starts with 'b' like 'bottle' which you drink from.
Explanation: 'Vivir' (to live) and 'ver' (to see) both start with 'v' and are common verbs, but have distinct meanings and conjugation patterns.
Notes: 'Ver' is irregular in some tenses while 'vivir' follows regular -ir verb patterns.
Mnemonic: 'Vivir' has 'vi' twice, emphasizing life, while 'ver' is short like 'eye' - quick to see things.