Vivir Conjugation | How to Conjugate Vivir in Spanish

If you are learning Spanish, the verb vivir is important to learn because it’s commonly used. In this article, you’ll learn how to conjugate vivir in all the different tenses and I’ll also give you some example sentences with translations so you can put them into practice.

Vivir means “to live.” It’s a regular verb, and is used in many different scenarios. This verb is essential because it reflects the action of living and existing. Vivir is often used in colloquial expressions like “vivir la vida,” which means, “live life.” Or, “vivir al máximo,” which means, “live life to the fullest.” Let’s take a look at the various conjugations of the verb vivir.

The table below shows you the Spanish conjugation of vivir in the infinitive, gerund, and past participle.

Here are three example sentences that use the conjugations of vivir from the table above:

• Infinitive: Él quiere vivir con su mejor amigo. / He wants to live with his best friend.
• Gerund: Esoy viviendo una gran experiencia. I’m living a great experience.
• Past Participle: He vivido aquí desde que era niña. I have lived here since I was a kid.

You’ve learned what the verb vivir means and its three main conjugation forms. Now, let’s explore how to conjugate vivir in all the different Spanish tenses. The table below shows the different Spanish tenses. Click on the one you want to learn and see the conjugated form.

How to Conjugate the Spanish Verb Vivir in Indicative Tense

Indicative tenses help us to describe things just as they are. We mainly use them to talk about real things that are happening. The indicative mood is present in everyday Spanish conversation. It’s very helpful when we make statements, talk about facts, habits, or routines. We’ll look at the following tenses: present, future, preterite, imperfect, and conditional indicative tense.

Indicative Present

The indicative present is used to describe ongoing or near future events. Additionally, we also use it to discuss general truths or to ask questions. It’s very common to use it when we talk about routines, habits, or traditions. The present tense of the verb vivir helps us to share information about our general way of life, or about where we live. For example, “Yo vivo en Perú“ means “I live in Peru.”

Below you’ll find the vivir conjugation chart in the present tense:

Pronoun	Vivir Conjugation	English Meaning
Yo	Vivo	I live
Tú	Vive	You live
Vos	Vivís	You live
Él/Ella/Usted	Vive	He/She lives, You live
Nosotros	Vivimos	We live
Vosotros	Vivís	You live
Ellos/Ellas/ Ustedes	Viven	They live, You live

Here are some example sentences showing how to conjugate vivir in the indicative present tense:

• Yo vivo en Lima, Perú. / I live in Lima, Peru.
• Ellos viven en la casa de al lado. / They live in the house next door.
• Ella vive en ese departamento. / She lives in that apartment.

Return to Conjugation Table

Indicative Future

The indicative future tense is used to describe actions that will probably happen in the future. It helps us describe upcoming events and plans or make predictions. For example, “Viviré junto a la casa de mi madre” means “I will live next to my mother’s house.”

Below is the vivir conjugation in Spanish for the indicative future:

Pronoun	Vivir Conjugation	English Meaning
Yo	Viviré	I will live
Tú	Vivirás	You will live
Vos	Vivirás	You will live
Él/Ella/Usted	Vivirá	He/She/You will live
Nosotros	Viviremos	We will live
Vosotros	Viviréis	You will live
Ellos/Ellas/ Ustedes	Vivirán	They will live, You will live

Here are some example sentences showing how to conjugate vivir in the indicative future tense:

• Él vivirá en Canadá el próximo año. / He will live in Canada next year.
• Nosotros viviremos en Brasil el próximo mes. / We will live in Brazil next month.
• Ellos vivirán en mi casa. / They will live in my house.

Return to Conjugation Table

Indicative Preterite

The indicative preterite tense describes actions that were completed in the past and have a clear beginning and end. It’s perfect for narrating events that happened at a specific point in time. The verb vivir in the preterite tense would be used to share something that you experienced in the past. For example, “Viví en Nueva York durante 5 años” means “I lived in New York for 5 years.”

Here’s the vivir verb chart with its conjugations in the preterite tense:

Pronoun	Vivir Conjugation	English Meaning
Yo	Viví	I lived
Tú	Viviste	You lived
Vos	Viviste	You lived
Él/Ella/Usted	Vivió	He/She/You lived
Nosotros	Vivimos	We lived
Vosotros	Vivisteis	You lived
Ellos/Ellas/ Ustedes	Vivieron	They lived, You lived

Here are some example sentences showing vivir conjugation in the indicative preterite tense:

• Yo viví en esa casa hace muchos años. / I lived in that house many years ago.
• Ella vivió con su madre hasta los 30 años / She lived with her mother until she was 30 years old.
• Nosotros vivimos en Lima hasta el 2022. / We lived in Lima until 2022.

Return to Conjugation Table

Indicative Imperfect

In Spanish, the indicative imperfect tense is used to describe ongoing actions that happened in the past, routines, and past situations without focusing on their start or completion. It’s a valuable tool for a narrative or sharing past experiences in a descriptive way. For example, “Ella vivía en París rodeada de arte y cultura,” means, “She used to live in Paris surrounded by art and culture.”

Below is a table with the conjugations of the verb vivir in the imperfect tense:

Pronoun	Vivir Conjugation	English Meaning
Yo	Vivía	I used to live
Tú	Vivías	You used to live
Vos	Vivías	You used to live
Él/Ella/Usted	Vivía	He/She/You used to live
Nosotros	Vivíamos	We used to live, You used to live
Vosotros	Vivíais	You used to live
Ellos/Ellas/ Ustedes	Vivían	They used to live, You used to live

Here are some example sentences showing how to conjugate vivir in the indicative imperfect tense:

• Tú vivías allá cuando eras niño. / You used to live there when you were a kid.
• Yo vivía en un pueblo pequeño y tranquilo cuando era niño. / I used to live in a small and peaceful town when I was a kid.
• Ustedes vivían en Ecuador. / You used to live in Ecuador.

Return to Conjugation Table

Indicative Conditional

The indicative conditional tense in Spanish talks about things you would do. It’s used to express actions that would happen based on conditions or situations that might not be real. You can also use it to be polite or make requests. 

Let’s see a table of the verb vivir in the conditional tense conjugations. 

Pronoun	Vivir Conjugation	English Meaning
Yo	Viviría	I would live
Tú	Vivirías	You would live
Vos	Vivirías	You would live
Él/Ella/Usted	Viviría	He/She/You would live
Nosotros	Viviríamos	We would live
Vosotros	Viviríais	You would live
Ellos/Ellas/ Ustedes	Vivirían	They would live, You would live

Here are some example sentences showing how to conjugate vivir in the indicative conditional tense:

• Si tuviera más tiempo, viviría en el extranjero. / If I had more time, I would live abroad.
• Viviríamos en una casa más grande si ganáramos la lotería. / We would live in a bigger house if we won the lottery.
• El viviría una vida más feliz si pudiera viajar constantemente. / He would live a happier life if he could travel constantly.

Return to Conjugation Table

How to Conjugate Vivir in Perfect Tense 

The perfect tense in Spanish adds a layer of time-related information to actions, indicating either their recent completion or their completion before another event. All perfect tenses use a conjugated form of the verb haber and the participle of vivir, which is “vivido.” When used in the perfect tenses, such as the present perfect and the past perfect, vivir is used to talk about experiences and life situations that have been finalized.

Present Perfect

The present perfect tense helps connect past experiences with the present. We use it to talk about past actions relevant to the present. This tense helps you link your past adventures, accomplishments, or learnings to something that matters now.

Below you can find the conjugation chart of vivir in the present perfect tense:

Pronoun	Vivir Conjugation	English Meaning
Yo	He vivido	I have lived
Tú	Has vivido	You have lived
Vos	Has vivido	You have lived
Él/Ella/Usted	Ha vivido	He/She has lived, You have lived
Nosotros	Hemos vivido	We have lived
Vosotros	Habéis vivido	You have lived
Ellos/Ellas/ Ustedes	Han vivido	They have lived, You have lived

Here are some example sentences showing how to conjugate vivir in the present perfect tense:

• Yo he vivido en esta ciudad por 5 años. / I have lived in this city for 5 years.
• ¿Tú has vivido alguna vez en el extranjero? / Have you ever lived abroad?
• Ella ha vivido en 7 países diferentes. / She has lived in 7 different countries.

Return to Conjugation Table

Future Perfect

The future perfect tense describes actions that will be completed before a specific future time. That means that the future perfect is used for conversations about plans or expectations, allowing you to know how long an action will have happened until that particular moment. Using vivir with the future perfect is useful to describe personal experiences and share how long you will have experienced a certain situation or lifestyle.  

Let’s see the vivir conjugation chart in the future perfect tense:

Pronoun	Vivir Conjugation	English Meaning
Yo	Habré vivido	I will have lived
Tú	Habrás vivido	You will have lived
Vos	Habrás vivido	You will have lived
Él/Ella/Usted	Habrá vivido	He/She/You will have lived
Nosotros	Habremos vivido	We will have lived
Vosotros	Habréis vivido	You will have lived
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	Habrán vivido	They will have lived, You will have lived

Here are some example sentences showing how to conjugate vivir in the future perfect tense:

• Para el próximo año, nosotros habremos vivido en tres países diferentes. / By next year, we will have lived in three different countries.
• Él habrá vivido una vida plena para cuando llegue a la vejez. / He will have lived a fulfilling life when he reaches old age.
• Para el próximo año habré vivido en dos ciudades diferentes. / By next year, I will have lived in two different cities.

Return to Conjugation Table

Past Perfect (Pluperfect)

The past perfect, or pluperfect, tense in Spanish involves talking about actions that were finished before another past action. It allows us to establish a clear sequence of events in the past, indicating which action happened first. 

Below is the conjugation table of the verb vivir in the past perfect:

Pronoun	Vivir Conjugation	English Meaning
Yo	Había vivido	I had lived
Tú	Habías vivido	You had lived
Vos	Habías vivido	You had lived
Él/Ella/Usted	Había vivido	He/She/You had lived
Nosotros	Habíamos vivido	We had lived
Vosotros	Habías vivido	You had lived
Ellos/Ellas/ Ustedes	Habían vivido	They had lived, You had lived

Here are some example sentences showing how to conjugate vivir in the pluperfect tense:

• Cuando llegamos, él ya había vivido con su mejor amigo por muchos años. / When we arrived, he had already lived with his best friend for many years.
• Ella había vivido en esa ciudad antes de mudarse al extranjero. / She had lived in that city before moving abroad.
• Antes de poner a la venta el departamento, ya habíamos vivido en él por algunas semanas. / Before putting the apartment up for sale, we had already lived in it for a few weeks.

Return to Conjugation Table

Conditional Perfect

The conditional perfect lets us talk about things that might have happened in the past if certain conditions were met. It’s used to speculate about events that could have happened but didn’t. In essence, the conditional perfect tense with the verb vivir lets you imagine past situations that might have happened if things were different.

Let’s see a table with the conjugations of the verb vivir in the conditional perfect:

Pronoun	Vivir Conjugation	English Meaning
Yo	Habría vivido	I would have lived
Tú	Habrías vivido	You would have lived
Vos	Habrías vivido	You would have lived
Él/Ella/Usted	Habría vivido	He/She would have lived, You would have lived
Nosotros	Habríamos vivido	We would have lived
Vosotros	Habríais vivido	You would have lived
Ellos/Ellas/ Ustedes	Habrían vivido	They would have lived, You would have lived

Here are some example sentences showing how to conjugate vivir in the conditional perfect tense:

• Si hubiera tenido la oportunidad, habría vivido en el extranjero. / If I had had the chance, I would have lived abroad
• Ella habría vivido una vida diferente si hubiera tomado decisiones distintas.  / She would have lived a different life if she had made different choices
• Ellos habrían vivido en París si hubieran tenido más tiempo. / They would have lived in Paris if they had had more time

Return to Conjugation Table

Preterite Perfect (Past Anterior)

The preterite perfect, or past anterior, tense in Spanish is used to show that one action was finished before another in the past. It’s an outdated verb tense and it is mostly used in more formal or literary contexts.

Below is the vivir conjugation in the preterit perfect tense:

Pronoun	Vivir Conjugation	English Meaning
Yo	Hube vivido	I had lived
Tú	Hubiste vivido	You had lived
Vos	Hubiste vivido	You had lived
Él/Ella/Usted	Hubo vivido	He/She/You had lived
Nosotros	Hubimos vivido	We had lived
Vosotros	Hubisteis vivido	You had lived
Ellos/Ellas/ Ustedes	Hubieron vivido	They had lived, You had lived

Here are some example sentences showing how to conjugate vivir in the past perfect tense:

• Cuando llegamos a la ciudad, hube vivido en muchas partes del mundo. / When we arrived in the city, we had lived in many parts of the world. 
• Hubieron vivido vidas caóticas antes de convertirse en monjes. / They had lived chaotic lives before becoming monks.
• Tú hubiste terminado tus deberes antes de la cena. / You had finished your homework before dinner.

Return to Conjugation Table

How to Conjugate Vivir in Subjunctive Tense

The Spanish subjunctive tense is the mood that expresses feelings, wishes, and possibilities. It adds emotion (and uncertainty) to the verbs. When we’re not simply stating facts, but instead expressing hopes, doubts, or possibilities, we turn to the subjunctive tense. It’s used with phrases like “what if” and “I wish” to bring an uncertain touch to the language.

Present Subjunctive

The present subjunctive in Spanish serves as a tool to express a range of emotions, wishes, desires, doubts, and imaginary circumstances. It’s employed when we talk about actions that aren’t complete or certain. The present subjunctive often involves phrases that convey these emotions or doubts such as “quiero que” (I want that), “es posible que” (it’s possible that), and “dudo que” (I doubt that). These phrases introduce a level of uncertainty to the discussed action.

Below is the conjugation of vivir in the present subjunctive:

Pronoun	Vivir Conjugation	English Meaning
Yo	Viva	I live
Tú	Vivas	You live
Vos	Vivas	You live
Él/Ella/Usted	Viva	He/She lives, You live
Nosotros	Vivamos	We live
Vosotros	Viváis	You live
Ellos/Ellas/ Ustedes	Vivan	They live, You live

Here are some example sentences showing how to conjugate vivir in the present subjunctive tense:

• Tu madre quiere que tú vivas tus sueños al máximo. / Your mother wants you to live your dreams to the fullest.
• Yo espero que él viva una vida llena de alegía. / I hope he lives a life full of joy.
• Mi hermana no cree que nosotras vivamos cerca de tu casa. / My sister doesn’t think we live close to your house.

Return to Conjugation Table

Future Subjunctive

The future subjunctive in Spanish is a bit of a rare bird. It’s used to point out uncertain events in the future. But here’s the catch: people don’t use it all that much in everyday conversations. This tense is typically used to express actions that may occur in the future but are hypothetical, or dependent on certain conditions. It is often found in conditional statements, expressions of doubt, wishes, and polite requests. 

Let’s see the conjugation of the verb vivir in the future subjunctive tense:

Pronoun	Vivir Conjugation	English Meaning
Yo	Viviere	I will live
Tú	Vivieres	You will live
Vos	Vivieres	You will live
Él/Ella/Usted	Viviere	He/She will live, You will live
Nosotros	Viviéremos	We will live
Vosotros	Vivieréis	You will live
Ellos/Ellas/ Ustedes	Vivieren	They will live, You will live

Here are some example sentences showing how to conjugate vivir in the future subjunctive tense:

• Espero que tú vivieres una vida llena de aventuras y experiencias emocionantes. / I hope you will live a life full of adventures and exciting experiences. 
• Si ellos vivieren en una ciudad cosmopolita, experimentarían diversas culturas. / If they will live in a cosmopolitan city, they would experience various cultures.
• Si nosotros viviéremos en la playa, nos relajaríamos todos los días. / If we will live at the beach, we would relax every day. 

Return to Conjugation Table

Imperfect Subjunctive

The imperfect subjunctive in Spanish steps in when we want to convey past desires, doubts, emotions, or hypothetical scenarios.  It often follows phrases like “quisiera que” (I would like that), “dudaba que” (I doubted that), or “ojalá” (I hope), and it brings attention to actions that were uncertain or unreal in the past. 

Unlike the preterite tense, which is used for completed actions in the past, the imperfect subjunctive emphasizes the unreality of actions. When combined with the verb vivir, it allows us to explore past experiences with a touch of uncertainty or imagination.

Let’s take a look into the vivir imperfect subjunctive conjugation:

Pronoun	Vivir Conjugation	English Meaning
Yo	viviera	I lived
Tú	vivieras	You lived
Vos	vivieras	You lived
Él/Ella/Usted	viviera	He/She lived, You lived
Nosotros	viviéramos	We lived
Vosotros	vivierais	You lived
Ellos/Ellas/ Ustedes	vivieran	They lived, You lived

Here are some example sentences showing how to conjugate vivir in the imperfect subjunctive tense:

• Yo quería que vivieras en esta casa tan bonita. / I wanted you to live in that beautiful house.
• Nosotros no creíamos que ellos vivieran en esa ciudad antes. / We didn’t believe that they lived in that city before.
• Él siempre deseaba que vosotros vivieráis cerca de nosotros. / He always wished that you lived near us.

Return to Conjugation Table

How to Conjugate Vivir in Perfect Subjunctive Tense

The perfect subjunctive in Spanish is like a magnifying glass for the past. It’s used to talk about actions that happened before another past action or at a specific point in the past. It’s like looking closely at the timeline of events and saying, “By the time this happened, that had already happened.” It’s often used to convey doubt, possibility, emotion, or hypothetical situations. This tense combines the conjugation of the auxiliary verb “haber” with the past participle of the verb vivir (vivido).

Present Perfect Subjunctive

In Spanish, the present perfect subjunctive is a versatile tense that enables us to discuss actions that have taken place before the present moment but it emphasizes their relevance or connection to the here and now. This tense conveys a sense of timelessness, pointing out that these past actions still hold significance or impact the current situation. Whether expressing experiences, desires, or conditions that persist, the present perfect subjunctive allows us to convey a sense of continuity between the past and the present, providing a rich and nuanced tool for effective communication in Spanish.

 Let’s see how to conjugate vivir in the present perfect subjunctive tense:

Pronoun	Vivir Conjugation	English Meaning
Yo	Haya vivido	I have lived
Tú	Hayas vivido	You have lived
Vos	Hayas vivido	You have lived
Él/Ella/Usted	Haya vivido	He/She has lived, You have lived
Nosotros	Hayamos vivido	We have lived
Vosotros	Hayais vivido	You have lived
Ellos/Ellas/ Ustedes	Hayan vivido	They have lived, You have lived

Here are some example sentences showing how to conjugate vivir in the present perfect subjunctive tense:

• Espero que hayas vivido en otro país y experimentado diferentes culturas. / I hope you have lived in another country and experienced different cultures.
• Ojalá que ellos hayan vivido en esa hermosa casa durante años. / I wish they have lived in that beautiful house for years.
• Dudo que hayamos vivido en un lugar tan pintoresco como este. / I doubt we have lived in such a picturesque place like this.

Return to Conjugation Table

Future Perfect Subjunctive

The future perfect subjunctive is a verb form that is useful for imagining what could be completed before other future events. It helps us look ahead by saying, “By that point, this action will already be done.” The future perfect subjunctive of vivir helps you ask about unrealized or unreal experiences that would have been completed before a certain future event. It talks about what might have been from a future perspective.

Let’s see how to conjugate the verb vivir in the future perfect subjunctive:

Pronoun	Vivir Conjugation	English Meaning
Yo	Hubiere vivido	I will have lived
Tú	Hubieres vivido	You will have lived
Vos	Hubieres vivido	You will have lived
Él/Ella/Usted	Hubiere vivido	He/She will have lived, You will have lived
Nosotros	Hubiéremos vivido	We will have lived
Vosotros	Hubiereis vivido	You will have lived
Ellos/Ellas/ Ustedes	Hubieren vivido	They will have lived, You will have lived

Here are some example sentences showing how to conjugate vivir in the future perfect subjunctive tense:

• Cuando llegues, hubiere vivido aquí por diez años. / When you arrive, I will have lived here for ten years.
• Si hubieras ganado la lotería, hubieres vivido una vida de lujo. / If you had won the lottery, you would have lived a life of luxury.
• Espero que para el año 2030, todos hubiéremos vivido en paz. / I hope that by the year 2030, we will have lived in peace.

Return to Conjugation Table

Pluperfect Subjunctive

The pluperfect subjunctive in Spanish is used when we want to talk about something that happened before another past action. With the pluperfect subjunctive, we look back in time and say, “If I had known, I would have…” It’s a way to express “what ifs” and regrets in the past. The pluperfect subjunctive of the verb vivir helps you discuss experiences that would have been fully lived before a specific point in the past.

Let’s see vivir conjugation in the pluperfect subjunctive tense:

Pronoun	Vivir Conjugation	English Meaning
Yo	Hubiera vivido	I had lived
Tú	Hubieras vivido	You had lived
Vos	Hubieras vivido	You had lived
Él/Ella/Usted	Hubiera vivido	He/She had lived, You had lived
Nosotros	Hubiéramos vivido	We had lived
Vosotros	Hubierais vivido	You had lived
Ellos/Ellas/ Ustedes	Hubieran vivido	They had lived, You had lived

Here are some example sentences showing how to conjugate vivir in the pluperfect subjunctive tense:

• Antes de que llegáramos a la ciudad, ellos ya hubieran vivido en varios países diferentes. / Before we arrived in the city, they had already lived in several different countries.
• Si ella hubiera vivido en la gran ciudad, habría experimentado un estilo de vida completamente diferente. / If she had lived in the big city, she would have experienced a completely different lifestyle. 
• Ojalá que ellos hubieran vivido en esta hermosa casa antes de mudarse. / I wish they had lived in this beautiful house before moving.

Return to Conjugation Table

How to Conjugate Vivir in the Imperative Tense

The imperative tense in Spanish is like giving orders or making polite requests. It’s a way to directly address someone. The imperative form varies based on the pronoun being used and whether the command is affirmative or negative. For affirmative commands, the verb often changes to a different form, while in negative commands, we add “no” before the verb. The imperative tense is commonly used in everyday casual conversations and it’s also a resource for inspirational phrases. For example, “¡Respira profundo y vive el momento!” means, “Take deep breaths and live the moment!”

Below is a table with the conjugation of the verb vivir in the imperative tense

Pronoun	Vivir Conjugation (Affirmative)	Vivir Conjugation (Negative)	English Meaning
Tú	Vive	No vivas	Live/Don’t Live
Vos	Viví	No vivás	Live/Don’t Live
Él/Ella/Usted	Vive	No vive	Live/Don’t Live
Nosotros	Vivamos	No vivamos	Live/Don’t Live
Vosotros	Vivid	No viváis	Live/Don’t Live
Ellos/Ellas/ Ustedes	Vivan	No vivan	Live/Don’t Live

Here are some example sentences showing how to conjugate vivir in the imperative tense:

• ¡Vive el momento al máximo! /  Live the moment to the fullest!
• ¡Vivid el cada día como si fuera el último! /  Live each day as if it were the last!
• ¡No vivan preocupados por el futuro! / Don’t live worried about the future!

Return to Conjugation Table

Tips for Conjugating Vivir Correctly

The verb vivir isa regular “-ir” verb, so that means that it follows a regular pattern for most tenses. Focus on learning the basic endings for each mood and practice writing and speaking. Exposure to the language will help you understand when to use each tense accurately.

It’s important to prioritize communication over perfect conjugations. Native speakers value your effort to convey ideas, even if conjugations are not “perfect.” Engage in conversation when possible, and remember that progress matters more than perfection.

Here are a couple of common expressions that you can use if you want to practice with vivir. “¡Déjame vivir a mi manera!” means “Let me live my way!” and “No me dejas vivir! Es muy molesto.” which means “You don’t let me live! This is annoying.” Now you know a few common phrases to get you started.

Ways to Practice Conjugating Vivir

Learning verb conjugations is an important part of practicing Spanish, and different resources can complement your learning journey. You can use an all-around Spanish app or one that focuses on a specific skill like verb conjugation. Or you may prefer Spanish language books with included conjugation exercises to reinforce your skills. You can also try online Spanish courses if you prefer multimedia lessons.

There are many different ways of learning Spanish, so find what suits you best. Engage in conversations with native Spanish speakers to be able to use conjugations in a natural way. Remember that consistent practice is the key to mastering verb conjugations and becoming proficient in the Spanish language.

Vivir Conjugation FAQ