Vivir Conjugation | How to Conjugate Vivir in Spanish

Vivir means “to live,” “to reside,” or “to experience.” You will learn its fully regular -IR conjugation and the main patterns for residence, duration, lifestyle, experience, and living on something.

Vivir conjugation at a glance

Verb type: Regular IR. Vivir keeps the stable stem viv- and takes ordinary -IR endings. Its gerund viviendo — “living” — and participle vivido — “lived” — are regular.

Vivir gerund, past participle, and infinitive

The infinitive names the verb, the gerund supports progressive constructions, and the past participle combines with haber — “to have” as an auxiliary — in compound forms. The participle vivido remains invariant in those compounds.

Form	Spanish	Natural English guide
Infinitive	vivir	to live
Gerund	viviendo	living
Past participle	vivido	lived

Vivir meaning and essential uses

Vivir is usually intransitive and describes being alive or residing somewhere: Vivo en Madrid. — “I live in Madrid.” RAE also records leading a certain type of life or continuing in a condition.

It can also be transitive in the sense of experiencing something: Vivimos una experiencia inolvidable. — “We experienced an unforgettable experience.” Other frequent frames include vivir de — “to live on / make a living from” — and vivir con — “to live with.”

Vivir regular conjugation pattern

The stem viv- remains unchanged throughout the core paradigm. Forms such as vivo — “I live,” viví — “I lived,” and viva — “that I live” — use ordinary -IR endings.

There is no stem change, spelling alternation, irregular preterite stem, irregular future stem, irregular gerund, or irregular participle.

Vivir indicative and periphrastic conjugations

Vivir present tense conjugation

Present indicative (el presente de indicativo) — Use it for current situations, habits, facts, and contextually near-future reference. The table uses the verified paradigm.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	vivo	I live
Tú — you, singular informal	vives	you live
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	vive	he / she lives; you live (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	vivimos	we live
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	vivís	you live (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	viven	they live; you live (plural)

• Vivo en Madrid. — I live in Madrid.

Vivir preterite conjugation

Preterite (el pretérito perfecto simple / pretérito indefinido) — Use it for completed or bounded past events. The table uses the verified paradigm.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	viví	I lived
Tú — you, singular informal	viviste	you lived
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	vivió	he / she lived; you lived (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	vivimos	we lived
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	vivisteis	you lived (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	vivieron	they lived; you lived (plural)

• Viví en Chile durante dos años. — I lived in Chile for two years.

Vivir imperfect conjugation

Imperfect (el pretérito imperfecto) — Use it for habitual, descriptive, background, or ongoing past situations. Form it with the appropriate form of haber — “to have” as an auxiliary — plus invariant vivido.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	vivía	I used to live / was living
Tú — you, singular informal	vivías	you used to live / were living
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	vivía	he / she used to live / was living; you used to live / were living (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	vivíamos	we used to live / were living
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	vivíais	you used to live / were living (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	vivían	they used to live / were living; you used to live / were living (plural)

• Antes vivíamos cerca del centro. — We used to live near downtown.

Vivir present progressive

Present progressive — This verbal periphrasis focuses on an action or process in progress. Form it with present estar — “to be” — plus viviendo — “living.”

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	estoy viviendo	I am living
Tú — you, singular informal	estás viviendo	you are living
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	está viviendo	he / she is living; you are living (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	estamos viviendo	we are living
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	estáis viviendo	you are living (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	están viviendo	they are living; you are living (plural)

• Estoy viviendo con unos amigos este mes. — I am living with some friends this month.

Vivir near future conjugation

Near future — This verbal periphrasis expresses an intention, plan, or expected event. Form it with present ir — “to go” — plus a — “to” — and vivir.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	voy a vivir	I am going to live
Tú — you, singular informal	vas a vivir	you are going to live
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	va a vivir	he / she is going to live; you are going to live (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	vamos a vivir	we are going to live
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	vais a vivir	you are going to live (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	van a vivir	they are going to live; you are going to live (plural)

• Voy a vivir en otra ciudad el próximo año. — I am going to live in another city next year.

Vivir future tense conjugation

Simple future (el futuro simple) — Use it for future reference and, where useful, probability. The table uses the verified paradigm.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	viviré	I will live
Tú — you, singular informal	vivirás	you will live
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	vivirá	he / she will live; you will live (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	viviremos	we will live
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	viviréis	you will live (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	vivirán	they will live; you will live (plural)

• Viviremos aquí durante seis meses. — We will live here for six months.

Vivir conditional conjugation

Conditional (el condicional simple) — Use it for hypothetical outcomes, softened statements, or related conditional meanings. The table uses the verified paradigm.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	viviría	I would live
Tú — you, singular informal	vivirías	you would live
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	viviría	he / she would live; you would live (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	viviríamos	we would live
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	viviríais	you would live (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	vivirían	they would live; you would live (plural)

• Viviría cerca del mar si pudiera. — I would live near the sea if I could.

Vivir present perfect conjugation

Present perfect (el pretérito perfecto compuesto) — Use it for completed events connected to a present reference frame; regional distribution varies. Form it with the appropriate form of haber — “to have” as an auxiliary — plus invariant vivido.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	he vivido	I have lived
Tú — you, singular informal	has vivido	you have lived
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	ha vivido	he / she has lived; you have lived (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	hemos vivido	we have lived
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	habéis vivido	you have lived (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	han vivido	they have lived; you have lived (plural)

• He vivido muchas experiencias interesantes. — I have lived through many interesting experiences.

Vivir past perfect conjugation

Past perfect (el pretérito pluscuamperfecto) — Use it for an event completed before another past reference point. Form it with the appropriate form of haber — “to have” as an auxiliary — plus invariant vivido.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	había vivido	I had lived
Tú — you, singular informal	habías vivido	you had lived
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	había vivido	he / she had lived; you had lived (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	habíamos vivido	we had lived
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	habíais vivido	you had lived (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	habían vivido	they had lived; you had lived (plural)

• Ya habíamos vivido allí antes. — We had already lived there before.

Vivir future perfect conjugation

Future perfect (el futuro perfecto) — Use it for an event expected to be completed before a future reference point. Form it with the appropriate form of haber — “to have” as an auxiliary — plus invariant vivido.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	habré vivido	I will have lived
Tú — you, singular informal	habrás vivido	you will have lived
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	habrá vivido	he / she will have lived; you will have lived (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	habremos vivido	we will have lived
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	habréis vivido	you will have lived (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	habrán vivido	they will have lived; you will have lived (plural)

• Para entonces habrán vivido juntos diez años. — By then they will have lived together for ten years.

Vivir conditional perfect conjugation

Conditional perfect (el condicional compuesto) — Use it for a hypothetical completed outcome. Form it with the appropriate form of haber — “to have” as an auxiliary — plus invariant vivido.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	habría vivido	I would have lived
Tú — you, singular informal	habrías vivido	you would have lived
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	habría vivido	he / she would have lived; you would have lived (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	habríamos vivido	we would have lived
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	habríais vivido	you would have lived (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	habrían vivido	they would have lived; you would have lived (plural)

• Habría vivido en otro lugar con más opciones. — I would have lived somewhere else with more options.

Vivir subjunctive conjugations

Vivir present subjunctive conjugation

Present subjunctive (el presente de subjuntivo) — Use it in subordinate environments involving wishes, influence, emotion, doubt or denial, evaluation, necessity, possibility, or non-specific reference. The table uses the verified paradigm.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	viva	that I live
Tú — you, singular informal	vivas	that you live
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	viva	that he / she live; that you live (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	vivamos	that we live
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	viváis	that you live (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	vivan	that they live; that you live (plural)

• Quiero que vivas cerca de nosotros. — I want you to live near us.

Vivir imperfect subjunctive conjugation

Imperfect subjunctive (el imperfecto de subjuntivo) — The main table uses the -ra series. The accepted -se series is also valid in many contexts and is demonstrated after the table. Form it with the appropriate form of haber — “to have” as an auxiliary — plus invariant vivido.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	viviera	that I lived
Tú — you, singular informal	vivieras	that you lived
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	viviera	that he / she lived; that you lived (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	viviéramos	that we lived
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	vivierais	that you lived (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	vivieran	that they lived; that you lived (plural)

• Preferían que viviéramos en el mismo barrio. — They preferred that we live in the same neighborhood.
• Era mejor que vivieses cerca del trabajo. — It was better for you to live near work.

Vivir future subjunctive conjugation

Future subjunctive (el futuro de subjuntivo) — Rare in modern everyday Spanish. It survives mainly in formal, legal, proverbial, literary, or historical contexts. These rare reference forms belong mainly to formal, legal, proverbial, literary, or historical registers.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	viviere	if / when I should live
Tú — you, singular informal	vivieres	if / when you should live
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	viviere	if / when he / she should live; if / when you should live (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	viviéremos	if / when we should live
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	viviereis	if / when you should live (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	vivieren	if / when they should live; if / when you should live (plural)

• Quien viviere en el extranjero deberá actualizar sus datos. — Whoever should live abroad must update their information.

Vivir present perfect subjunctive conjugation

Present perfect subjunctive (el pretérito perfecto de subjuntivo) — Use it when a completed event appears inside a present- or future-oriented subjunctive environment. Form it with the appropriate form of haber — “to have” as an auxiliary — plus invariant vivido.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	haya vivido	that I have lived
Tú — you, singular informal	hayas vivido	that you have lived
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	haya vivido	that he / she has lived; that you have lived (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	hayamos vivido	that we have lived
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	hayáis vivido	that you have lived (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	hayan vivido	that they have lived; that you have lived (plural)

• Me alegra que hayas vivido esa experiencia. — I am glad that you lived through that experience.

Vivir past perfect subjunctive conjugation

Past perfect subjunctive (el pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo) — The main table uses hubiera; hubiese is an accepted auxiliary alternative in many contexts and is demonstrated after the table. Form it with the appropriate form of haber — “to have” as an auxiliary — plus invariant vivido.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	hubiera vivido	that I had lived
Tú — you, singular informal	hubieras vivido	that you had lived
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	hubiera vivido	that he / she had lived; that you had lived (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	hubiéramos vivido	that we had lived
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	hubierais vivido	that you had lived (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	hubieran vivido	that they had lived; that you had lived (plural)

• Si hubiera vivido más cerca, habría ido andando. — If I had lived closer, I would have walked.
• Si hubieses vivido allí, conocerías mejor la ciudad. — If you had lived there, you would know the city better.

Vivir future perfect subjunctive conjugation

Future perfect subjunctive (el futuro perfecto de subjuntivo) — Rare in modern everyday Spanish. Treat it as a formal or historical reference form, not an everyday conversational target. Form it with the appropriate form of haber — “to have” as an auxiliary — plus invariant vivido.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	hubiere vivido	if / when I should have lived
Tú — you, singular informal	hubieres vivido	if / when you should have lived
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	hubiere vivido	if / when he / she should have lived; if / when you should have lived (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	hubiéremos vivido	if / when we should have lived
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	hubiereis vivido	if / when you should have lived (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	hubieren vivido	if / when they should have lived; if / when you should have lived (plural)

• Si hubieren vivido fuera del país, deberán indicarlo. — If they should have lived outside the country, they must state it.

Vivir imperative and commands

Commands address another person directly. The nosotros/nosotras row is a present-subjunctive form used with exhortative “let’s…” value.

Vivir affirmative commands

Use the verified affirmative command forms for direct instructions when the target meaning supports them naturally.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Tú — you, singular informal	vive	live
Usted — you, singular formal	viva	live (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we; let’s…	vivamos	let’s live
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	vivid	live (plural, mainly Spain)
Ustedes — you, plural	vivan	live (plural)

• Vive cada día con intención. — Live each day with intention.

Vivir negative commands

Negative commands use subjunctive-based forms, with no — “not / do not” — before the verb.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Tú — you, singular informal	no vivas	do not live
Usted — you, singular formal	no viva	do not live (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we; let’s…	no vivamos	let’s not live
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	no viváis	do not live (plural, mainly Spain)
Ustedes — you, plural	no vivan	do not live (plural)

• No vivas solo para trabajar. — Do not live only to work.

Common constructions with Vivir

These patterns show sentence frames that materially affect how the target verb is used.

• vivir en + place. — to live in a place.
• vivir con + person / condition. — to live with someone / a condition.
• vivir de + income source / activity. — to live on / make a living from something.
• vivir una experiencia. — to live through / experience something.

Example sentences with Vivir

These examples reinforce the target verb across useful forms and contexts already taught in the lesson.

• ¿Dónde vives? — Where do you live?
• Vivo con mi familia. — I live with my family.
• Ella vive de la música. — She makes a living from music.
• Espero que vivas muchos años. — I hope you live many years.
• Hemos vivido momentos difíciles. — We have lived through difficult moments.
• Vive de acuerdo con tus valores. — Live according to your values.

Regional and usage notes for Vivir

The core tables retain tú, usted, vosotros/vosotras, and ustedes for project comparability. Voseo changes some second-person singular forms in regions where vos — “you, singular informal” — is used.

• Vos vivís cerca de aquí. — You live near here. (voseo)
• Viví el momento. — Live the moment. (affirmative vos command)

Vivir is fully regular. Its core grammar is simple, so focus on the complement: en for residence, con for co-residence or conditions, de for livelihood, or a direct object for experiences.