Present Tense IR Verbs: vivir

Spanish verbs are like Lego sets. They have a base and a tail. The base is called the stem. The tail is the ending. For vivir, the stem is viv-. The ending is -ir. To speak, we swap the tail. We pick a new tail based on the person. This is called conjugation. It sounds fancy, but it is simple. You just match the person to the ending. Think of it like a secret handshake. Each person has their own unique move. Once you know the moves, you’re in the club.

1. 1Ready to build the verb? Follow these three easy steps.
2. 2Start with the infinitive: vivir.
3. 3Chop off the -ir tail. Now you have viv-.
4. 4Add the specific ending for the person.
5. 5Here are the endings you need to memorize:
6. 6For yo (I), add -o. Result: vivo.
7. 7For tú (you, informal), add -es. Result: vives.
8. 8For él/ella/usted (he/she/you formal), add -e. Result: vive.
9. 9For nosotros (we), add -imos. Result: vivimos.
10. 10For vosotros (you all, Spain), add -ís. Result: vivís.
11. 11For ellos/ellas/ustedes (they/you all), add -en. Result: viven.
12. 12Notice the nosotros form. It uses -imos. This is different from -er verbs. It is the signature move of the -ir family. Don't let it trip you up!

Use vivir to talk about your home. Use it for your city or country. It works for roommates too.

• "I live in New York." -> Vivo en Nueva York.
• "We live together." -> Vivimos juntos.

You can use it for life status.

• "She lives a happy life." -> Ella vive una vida feliz.

Use it in job interviews.

• "I live near the office." -> Vivo cerca de la oficina.

Use it when meeting new friends.

• "Where do you live?" -> ¿Dónde vives?

It is a very literal verb. It describes your physical presence in a place. It’s the foundation of your daily identity.

Do not use vivir for short stays. If you are at a hotel, use quedarse.

• "I am staying at the Hilton." -> Me quedo en el Hilton.

Vivir implies a sense of permanence. It is for your actual home. Do not use it for "living" an experience like a movie. For that, use experimentar or pasar.

• "I am living a dream." -> Estoy pasando un sueño.

Also, do not use it for "living" as in "surviving" a crash. That is often sobrevivir. Vivir is about the state of being a resident. It is your "home base" verb.

Many people mix up -er and -ir endings. They say vivemos instead of vivimos. This is the most common trip-up. Remember, -ir verbs love the letter "i" in the "we" form.

Another mistake is forgetting the accent on vivís. That little mark matters in Spain! Without it, the rhythm is off.

Some people forget to drop the -ir first. They might say viviro. That sounds like a brand of bottled water. Always chop the tail before adding the new one.

Finally, don't overthink the subject. In Spanish, vivo already means "I live." You don't always need to say yo. It’s like a built-in GPS. The ending tells us who you are.

Let’s compare vivir with comer (to eat). They look almost identical.

• Yo forms: vivo vs como (both end in -o).
• Tú forms: vives vs comes (both end in -es).
• Él forms: vive vs come (both end in -e).

Now, look at nosotros.

• Comemos (ends in -emos).
• Vivimos (ends in -imos).

This is where the families split. -er verbs use "e." -ir verbs use "i." Think of it like a family feud. They agree on almost everything until dinner time. Then, they pick their favorite vowel.