LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
verbthird conjugation, impersonal in the passive

vīvō

vīvō (present infinitive vīvere, perfect active vīxī, supine vīctum)
Classical[ˈwiː.woː]Ecclesiastical[ˈviː.vo]
№ 156 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. impersonalto live
    O tempora, o mores! Senatus haec intellegit, consul videt; hic tamen vivit. Vivit? Immō vērō etiam in Senātum venit, […]Shame on the age and on its principles! The senate is aware of these things; the consul sees them; and yet this man lives. He lives? Indeed, in fact he even comes into the Senate, […] .63 BCE, Cicero, In Catilinam orationes 1.2
    Quam diu quisquam erit qui te defendere audeat, vives, et vives ita ut nunc vivis, multis meis et firmis praesidiis obsessus ne commovere te contra rem publicam possis. Multorum te etiam oculi et aures non sentientem, sicut adhuc fecerunt, speculabuntur atque custodient.As long as one person exists who can dare to defend you, you shall live; you shall live as you do now, surrounded by my many and trustworthy guards, so that you shall not be able to stir one finger against the republic: many eyes and ears shall still observe and watch you, as they have hitherto done, though you shall not perceive them.63 BCE, Cicero, In Catilinam orationes 1.1
  2. impersonalto be alive, to survive
  3. impersonalto reside in
    O di immortales, ubinam gentium sumus? Quam rem publicam habemus? In qua urbe vivimus?O ye immortal gods, where on earth are we? What is the government we have? In what city are we living?63 BCE, Cicero, In Catilinam orationes 1.9

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

vītam habeō; spīrō, sentiō, sum.
vīvō -ere vīxī — in Mille Verba, ch. Vīta et Mors
we live
vīvimus — in Seneca, ch. VII

Conjugation conjugation 3

active indicative
formpresentimperfectfutureperfectpluperfectfut. perfect
1st sg.vīvōvīvēbamvīvamvīxīvīxeramvīxerō
2nd sg.vīvisvīvēbāsvīvēsvīxistīvīxerāsvīxeris
3rd sg.vīvitvīvēbatvīvetvīxitvīxeratvīxerit
1st pl.vīvimusvīvēbāmusvīvēmusvīximusvīxerāmusvīxerimus
2nd pl.vīvitisvīvēbātisvīvētisvīxistisvīxerātisvīxeritis
3rd pl.vīvuntvīvēbantvīventvīxērunt
vīxēre		vīxerantvīxerint
active subjunctive
active subjunctive
formpresentimperfectperfectpluperfect
1st sg.vīvamvīveremvīxerimvīxissem
2nd sg.vīvāsvīverēsvīxerīsvīxissēs
3rd sg.vīvatvīveretvīxeritvīxisset
1st pl.vīvāmusvīverēmusvīxerīmusvīxissēmus
2nd pl.vīvātisvīverētisvīxerītisvīxissētis
3rd pl.vīvantvīverentvīxerintvīxissent
passive indicative
passive indicative
formpresentimperfectfuture
1st sg.———
2nd sg.———
3rd sg.vīviturvīvēbāturvīvētur
1st pl.———
2nd pl.———
3rd pl.vīvunturvīvēbanturvīventur
passive subjunctive
passive subjunctive
formpresentimperfect
1st sg.——
2nd sg.——
3rd sg.vīvāturvīverētur
1st pl.——
2nd pl.——
3rd pl.vīvanturvīverentur
imperative
imperative
formactivepassive
pres. 2nd sg.vīve—
pres. 2nd pl.vīvite—
fut. 2nd sg.vīvitō—
fut. 3rd sg.vīvitōvīvitor
fut. 2nd pl.vīvitōte—
fut. 3rd pl.vīvuntōvīvuntor
infinitives & participles
infinitives & participles
formactivepassive
present infinitivevīverevīvī
perfect infinitivevīxissevīctum esse
future infinitivevīctūrum essevīctum īrī
present participlevīvēns
vīvente, vīventem, vīventēs, vīventī, vīventia, vīventibus, vīventis, vīventīs, vīventium		—
perfect participle—vīctum
future participlevīctūrus
vīctūra, vīctūrā, vīctūrae, vīctūram, vīctūrārum, vīctūrās, vīctūre, vīctūrī, vīctūrīs, vīctūrō, vīctūrōrum, vīctūrōs, vīctūrum		vīvendum
gerundvīvendī, vīvendō, vīvendumsupinevīctum, vīctū

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

secum vivere
to live to oneself.
in diem vivere
to live from day to day.
vivere cum aliquo
to be on friendly terms with a person.
decem annos vixisse
to be ten years old.
ruri vivere, rusticari
to live in the country.
in otio esse or vivere
to be at leisure.
ad bene beateque vivendum
for a life of perfect happiness.
de suo (opp. alieno) vivere
to live on one's means.
10 more phrases
non habeo, qui (unde) vivam
I have no means, no livelihood.
delicate ac molliter vivere
to live a luxurious and effeminate life.
aequo iure vivere cum aliquo
to live with some one on an equal footing.
laute vivere (Nep. Chab. 3. 2)
to live well.
in omnium rerum abundantia vivere
to live in great affluence.
dum vita suppetit; dum (quoad) vivo
as long as I live.
beata vita, beate vivere, beatum esse
happiness, bliss.
in solitudine vivere (Fin. 3. 20. 65)
to live in solitude.
vivere carne, piscibus, rapto (Liv. 7. 25)
to live on meat, fish, by plunder.
genus vitae (vivendi) or aetatis degendae deligere
to choose a career, profession.

vīvo, vixi, victum, 3 (
I. pluperf. subj. syncop. vixet, Verg. A. 11, 118), v. n. Sanscr. giv-, givami, live; Gr. βίος, life; Goth. quius, living; Germ. quicken; Engl. quick, to live, be alive, have life (syn. spiro).
I. Lit.
A. In gen.: Ca. Eho, tua uxor quid agit? Me. Immortalis est. Vivit victuraque est, Plaut. Trin. 1, 2, 18: valet atque vivit (gnatus), Ter. Heaut. 3, 1, 21: nemo'st hominum qui vivat minus, id. Eun. 4, 6, 19; id. Ad. 3, 2, 34: vivere ac spirare, Cic. Sest. 50, 108: is demum mihi vivere atque frui animā videtur, qui, etc., Sall. C. 2, 9.—With acc. of time: et pueri annos octingentos vivont ... Quin mille annorum perpetuo vivont ab saeclo ad saeclum, Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 85; 4, 2, 87: Nemo est tam senex, qui se annum non putat posse vivere, Cic. Sen. 7, 24: vixi Annos bis centum, Ov. M. 12, 187: Aufidius vixit ad summam senectutem, Cic. Brut. 48, 179: ad centesimum annum, id. Sen. 6, 19: ad vesperum, id. ib. 19, 67: triginta annis, id. Off. 3, 2, 8: negat Epicurus, jucunde posse vivi, nisi cum virtute vivatur, live pleasantly unless we live virtuously, id. Tusc. 3, 20, 49.—Subst.: vīventes, ium, the living (opp. mortui), Lact. 5, 19, 25; 5, 3, 25.—With a homogeneous object: modice et modeste melius est vitam vivere, Plaut. Pers. 3, 1, 18; cf. Ter. Ad. 5, 4, 5; Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 47, § 118; id. Clu. 61, 170: tamne tibi diu videor vitam vivere? Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 34: Bacchanalia vivunt, Juv. 2, 3.— Pass.: nunc tertia vivitur aetas, Ov. M. 12, 187.—Transf., of things: et vivere vitem et mori dicimus, Cic. Fin. 5, 14, 39; cf. id. Tusc. 1, 24, 56: saepes, Varr. R. R. 1, 14, 2: oleae, Plin. 16, 44, 90, § 241: cinis, Ov. R. Am. 732: ignes, id. F. 3, 427: picturatum opus, lives, Claud. IV. Cons. Hon. 589.—
B. In partic.
1. To survive, be still alive (mostly in secondary tenses): quas inimicitias si tam cavere potuisset, quam metuere solebat, viveret, would be still alive, Cic. Rosc. Am. 6, 17: is jam pridem mortuus est: si viveret, verba ejus audiretis, id. ib. 14, 42: Mustius dixisset, si viveret, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 53, § 139: si viveret Hortensius cetera fortasse desideraret, id. Brut. 2, 6: si viveret, mihi cum illo nulla contentio jam maneret, id. Att. 14, 13, B, 4; id. Fam. 12, 1, 1: dixisti paulum tibi esse etiam nunc morae, quod ego viverem, id. Cat. 1, 4, 9; cf. id. Red. Quir. 4, 10: utinam L. Caesar valeret, Serv. Sulpicius viveret, id. Phil. 8, 7, 22: constitueram, neminem includere in dialogos eorum, qui viverent, id. Att. 13, 19, 3: divinat enim, quae futura fuerint, si Philippus vixisset, Liv. 41, 24, 4; cf.: quid Philippus, si vixisset, facturus fuerit, id. 41, 24, 5: qui censor fuisset, vetustissimusque ex iis, qui viverent, censoriis esset, id. 23, 22, 10; cf.: hic tamen vivit. Vivit? Immo vero etiam in senatum venit, Cic. Cat. 1, 1, 2: vivis; et vivis non ad deponendam sed ad confirmandam audaciam, id. ib. 1, 2, 4.—
2. Euphemistically, vixit, he is done with life, he is dead: vixisse nimio satiu'st jam quam vivere, Plaut. Bacch. 1, 2, 43; cf. id. Most. 4, 3, 10.—
3. Ita vivam, as true as I live, as a formula of asseveration: nam, ita vivam, putavi, Cic. Fam. 2, 13, 3; 2, 16, 20; id. Att. 5, 15, 2; Sen. Ep. 82, 11 al.—
4. Ne vivam si, may I not live if, may I die if; as a form of asseveration: quid poteris, inquies, pro iis dicere? Ne vivam, si scio, Cic. Att. 4, 16, 8; id. Fam. 7, 23 fin.—
5. Si vivo, if I live, a formula of menacing: erit ubi te ulciscar, si vivo, Plaut. Ps. 5, 2, 26; id. Cas. 1, 1, 27; Ter. And. 5, 2, 25; id. Eun. 5, 5, 20.—
6. In the phrases,
a. Alicui vivere, to live for a person: haec qui misit, non sibi soli postulat Te vivere et suā causā excludi ceteros, Ter. Eun. 3, 2, 28; cf.: si tibi soli viveres, Cic. Marcell. 8, 25; cf.: secum vivere, II. B. infra.—
b. In diem vivere, from hand to mouth, for the present hour, Cic. de Or. 2, 40, 169; id. Tusc. 5, 11, 33; id. Phil. 2, 34, 86; cf.: hi, qui in horam viverent, id. ib. 5, 9, 25.—
c. De lucro vivere, a life that is clear gain, i. e. at the mercy of another, Cic. Fam. 9, 17, 1.—
C. Pregn.
1. To live well, live at ease, enjoy life: quod me cohortaris ad ambitionem et ad laborem, faciam quidem: sed quando vivemus? Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 1, 4, § 12: vivite lurcones, comedones, vivite ventres, Lucil. ap. Non. p. 11, 8; Varr. ib. p. 156, 13; Cat. 5, 1; Hor. C. 3, 29, 43; id. Ep. 1, 6, 66.—Hence, in bidding farewell: vive valeque, Hor. S. 2, 5, 110; id. Ep. 1, 6, 67 al.; cf.: vivite, silvae, fare ye well, Verg. E. 8, 58.—
2. Like our to live, for to last, endure, remain, be remembered (mostly poet.): vivet extento Proculeius aevo ... Illum aget Fama superstes, Hor. C. 2, 2, 5: per omnia saecula famā vivam, Ov. M. 15, 879: mea semper gloria vivet, Cic. poët. ap. Gell. 15, 6, 3: tacitum vivit sub pectore vulnus, Verg. A. 4, 67: spirat adhuc amor Vivuntque commissi calores Aeoliae fidibus puellae, Hor. C. 4, 9, 11; cf. id. ib. 1, 32, 3: carmina, id. Ep. 1, 19, 2: scripta, Ov. Tr. 1, 7, 25: das nostro nomen victurum amori, id. Am. 3, 1, 65: odia, Stat. Th. 12, 441: mihi quidem Scipio, quamquam est subito ereptus, vivit tamen semperque vivet, Cic. Lael. 27, 102: vivit vivetque semper, atque etiam latius in memoriā hominum et sermone versabitur, postquam ab oculis recessit, Plin. Ep. 2, 1, 11; Sen. Ben. 3, 5, 2.—
II. Transf.
A. To live on any thing or in any manner, i. e. to support life; to sustain or maintain one's self: stirpibus palmarum vivere, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 50, § 131: piscibus atque ovis avium vivere, Caes. B. G. 4, 10 fin.: lacte atque pecore, id. ib. 4, 1; 5, 14: cortice ex arboribus, id. B. C. 3, 49: coriis herbisque et radicibus vivere, Liv. 23, 30, 3: herbis Vivis et urticā, Hor. Ep. 1, 12, 8: siliquis et pane secundo, id. ib. 2, 1, 123: parvo, id. S. 2, 2, 1: rapto, Verg. A. 7, 749: de vestro, Plaut. Truc. 5, 61: misere, id. Aul. 2, 4, 36: parcius, Hor. S. 1, 3, 49: suaviter, id. Ep. 1, 8, 4: bene, id. ib. 1, 6, 56; 1, 11, 29: rapto, Liv. 7, 25, 13; 27, 12, 5: verbum vivere quidam putant ad cibum pertinere, Dig. 50, 16, 234.— Impers. pass.: vivitur ex rapto, Ov. M. 1, 144. —Trop.: (sunt) in eo studia illa nostra, quibus antea delectabamur, nunc etiam vivimus, Cic. Fam. 13, 28, a, 2.—
B. To live, i. e. to pass one's life, to reside, dwell, be in any place or manner (cf.: vitam dego): Rhodi, Cic. Fam. 4, 7, 4: extra urbem, id. Brut. 74, 258: Cypri, Nep. Chabr. 3, 4: in litteris vivere, Cic. Fam. 9, 26, 1; id. Sen. 11, 38: in maximā celebritate atque in oculis civium, id. Off. 3, 1, 3: in paupertate, id. Part. Or. 18, 63: in humilitate, Lact. 7, 9, 17: cum timore, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 14, 3: unis moribus et numquam mutatis legibus, Cic. Fl. 26, 63: e naturā, id. Fin. 3, 20, 68: convenienter naturae, id. ib. 3, 7, 26; id. Off. 3, 3, 13: valde familiariter cum aliquo, id. Att. 6, 6, 2; cf.: Hirtius vivit habitatque cum Balbo, id. ib. 14, 20, 4: cum Pansā vixi in Pompeiano, id. ib.: ecquis me vivit hodie fortunatior? Ter. Eun. 5, 8, 1: ego vivo miserrimus, Cic. Att. 3, 5: viveret in terris te si quis avarior uno, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 157: illā sorte Contentus vivat, id. S. 1, 1, 3.—Prov.: secum vivere, to live for one's self, care only for one's self, Cic. Sen. 14, 49.—Impers. pass.: quoniam vivitur non cum perfectis hominibus, sed, etc., Cic. Off. 1, 15, 46.

Origins

From Proto-Italic *gʷīwō, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷíh₃weti (“to live”). The x and c in vīxī and vīctum were introduced by analogy with other verbs. Cognate with Old English cwic (“alive”) (English quick), Old Church Slavonic жити (žiti), Ancient Greek βίος (bíos), Sanskrit जीवति (jīvati).

Elsewhere
  • Catalanviure
  • Italianvivere
  • Frenchvivrefrom Old French vivre
  • Occitanviurefrom Old Occitan viure
  • Portugueseviverfrom Old Galician-Portuguese viver
  • Englishvevefrom Old Galician-Portuguese viver
  • Spanishvivirfrom Old Spanish bevir
  • Romanianvie
  • Romanianvia
  • Romanianînvia
Old Leonese
  • Asturianvivir
  • Mirandesebibir

In English words that came into English from vīvō

  • survivesupervivo
  • reviverevīvere
  • vitalvītālis
  • vividvividus
  • vivaciousvīvāx
  • viand*vivanda
  • vivacityvīvācitās
  • victualvīctuālia
  • convivialconvīvium
  • convivenceconvivere
  • vitologyvīta
  • vitalometervīta
  • reviviscentreviviscens
  • vivencyvivens
  • supervivesupervivere

Quick answers

What does vīvō mean in Latin?
vīvō, a verb, means “to live; to be alive, to survive; to reside in”.
What are the principal parts of vīvō?
vīvō, vīvere, vīxī, vīctum (third conjugation, impersonal in the passive).
How do you pronounce vīvō?
In classical Latin, [ˈwiː.woː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈviː.vo].
Which English words come from vīvō?
English words that go back to Latin vīvō include convivence, vivency, survive, revive, vivid and vivacious.