Vivir Conjugation: All Spanish Tenses

Vivir (to live, to reside) is one of the most used verbs in Spanish and it is completely regular: it is the model verb for the third (-ir) conjugation and follows that pattern in every tense, so it is a perfect verb to learn the -ir endings.

Indicative Tenses of Vivir

Vivir in the Present (Presente)

Habits, current facts and general truths: Vivo en Madrid desde hace tres años (I have been living in Madrid for three years).

Present tense rules →

Vivir in the Preterite (Pretérito indefinido)

Completed actions at a specific moment in the past: Viví dos años en Argentina (I lived in Argentina for two years).

Preterite rules →

Vivir in the Present Perfect (Pretérito perfecto)

Past connected to the present: Siempre he vivido cerca del mar (I have always lived near the sea).

Present perfect rules →

Vivir in the Imperfect (Pretérito imperfecto)

Habitual or ongoing actions in the past: De niño vivíamos en un pueblo pequeño (As a child we used to live in a small village).

Imperfect rules →

Vivir in the Past Perfect (Pluscuamperfecto)

An action before another past action: Antes de la boda ya habían vivido juntos un año (Before the wedding they had already lived together for a year).

Past perfect rules →

Vivir in the Future (Futuro simple)

Plans and predictions: El año que viene viviré en otra ciudad (Next year I will live in another city).

Future tense rules →

Vivir in the Future Perfect (Futuro perfecto)

An action that will be completed in the future: Para entonces ya habremos vivido aquí diez años (By then we will have lived here for ten years).

Future perfect rules →

Vivir in the Conditional (Condicional simple)

Advice and hypothetical situations: Yo viviría en el campo si pudiera (I would live in the countryside if I could).

Conditional rules →

Vivir in the Conditional Perfect (Condicional compuesto)

Hypotheses about the past: Habría vivido allí, pero el trabajo me lo impidió (I would have lived there, but work stopped me).

Conditional perfect rules →

Subjunctive Tenses of Vivir

Present Subjunctive of Vivir (Presente de subjuntivo)

Wishes, doubts and emotions: Espero que vivas muchos años feliz (I hope you live happily for many years).

Present subjunctive rules →

Present Perfect Subjunctive of Vivir (Pretérito perfecto de subjuntivo)

Evaluating a recent past action: Me alegro de que hayas vivido esa experiencia (I am glad you have lived through that experience).

Perfect subjunctive rules →

Imperfect Subjunctive of Vivir (Pretérito imperfecto de subjuntivo)

Hypothetical conditions: Si vivieras aquí, nos veríamos más a menudo (If you lived here, we would see each other more often).

Imperfect subjunctive rules →

Past Perfect Subjunctive of Vivir (Pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo)

Unreal hypotheses about the past: Si hubieras vivido en esa época, lo entenderías (If you had lived in that era, you would understand it).

Past perfect subjunctive rules →

Imperative of Vivir

Affirmative Commands of Vivir (Imperativo afirmativo)

Orders and requests: ¡Vive el momento! (Live in the moment!)

Affirmative commands rules →

Negative Commands of Vivir (Imperativo negativo)

Prohibitions and negative advice: No vivas siempre pensando en el pasado (Don't always live thinking about the past).

Negative commands rules →

Expressions with Vivir

• Vivir el momento - to live in the moment, to enjoy the present
• Vivir al día - to live hand to mouth, spending all you earn
• Vivir del cuento - to live off others without working
• Vivir para ver - well, I never (said in astonishment)
• ¿Quién vive? - who goes there? (a sentry's challenge)