Malvivir Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb malvivir means to live badly, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Malvivir means to live badly or to scrape by, and it describes living in poor conditions or on very little money: malvivir con un sueldo bajo. It is a regular -ir verb, built from mal plus vivir. Like every Spanish verb, malvivir changes its ending for each person and tense, and this page gives you the complete picture: every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle, all from the verified conjugation tables. For example, in the present tense you say malvivo con un sueldo muy bajo, and in the preterite you say malviví de prestado cada mes. Work through the tables below, read the notes for each tense, and then test yourself with the examples, the common mistakes and the quiz at the end of the page.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: malvivir
- English: to live badly
- Verb type: regular -ir verb
- Ending: -ir
- Gerund: malviviendo
- Past participle: malvivido
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + malvivido)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for malvivir, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Malvivir is regular: malviví, malvivía, malviviré. It is mal plus vivir, living badly.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for malvivir. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem. For reflexive verbs, the pronoun column shows the reflexive pronoun that goes before each form.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | malvivo |
| tú | malvives |
| él/ella/Ud. | malvive |
| nosotros/as | malvivimos |
| vosotros/as | malvivís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | malviven |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | malviví |
| tú | malviviste |
| él/ella/Ud. | malvivió |
| nosotros/as | malvivimos |
| vosotros/as | malvivisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | malvivieron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | malvivía |
| tú | malvivías |
| él/ella/Ud. | malvivía |
| nosotros/as | malvivíamos |
| vosotros/as | malvivíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | malvivían |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | malviviré |
| tú | malvivirás |
| él/ella/Ud. | malvivirá |
| nosotros/as | malviviremos |
| vosotros/as | malviviréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | malvivirán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | malviviría |
| tú | malvivirías |
| él/ella/Ud. | malviviría |
| nosotros/as | malviviríamos |
| vosotros/as | malviviríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | malvivirían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he malvivido |
| tú | has malvivido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha malvivido |
| nosotros/as | hemos malvivido |
| vosotros/as | habéis malvivido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han malvivido |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había malvivido |
| tú | habías malvivido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había malvivido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos malvivido |
| vosotros/as | habíais malvivido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían malvivido |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré malvivido |
| tú | habrás malvivido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá malvivido |
| nosotros/as | habremos malvivido |
| vosotros/as | habréis malvivido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán malvivido |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría malvivido |
| tú | habrías malvivido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría malvivido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos malvivido |
| vosotros/as | habríais malvivido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían malvivido |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | malviva |
| tú | malvivas |
| él/ella/Ud. | malviva |
| nosotros/as | malvivamos |
| vosotros/as | malviváis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | malvivan |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | malviviera |
| tú | malvivieras |
| él/ella/Ud. | malviviera |
| nosotros/as | malviviéramos |
| vosotros/as | malvivierais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | malvivieran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | malvive |
| él/ella/Ud. | malviva |
| nosotros/as | malvivamos |
| vosotros/as | malvivid |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | malvivan |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | malvivas |
| él/ella/Ud. | malviva |
| nosotros/as | malvivamos |
| vosotros/as | malviváis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | malvivan |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | malviviendo | with estar for the progressive: estoy malviviendo |
| Past participle | malvivido | with haber for the perfect tenses: he malvivido |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For malvivir, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Malvivo con un sueldo muy bajo. Learn the present forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Preterite
Use the preterite for finished actions with a clear end, often with ayer, el año pasado or anoche. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For malvivir, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, malviví en un piso sin calefacción. Learn the preterite forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperfect
Use the imperfect for background, habits and actions in progress in the past, often with de niño, antes or mientras. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For malvivir, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, malvivía de prestado cada mes. Learn the imperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future
Use the future for plans, predictions and promises, often with mañana, el año que viene or pronto. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For malvivir, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, malviviré sin trabajo fijo. Learn the future forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional
Use the conditional for polite requests, hypotheticals and what would happen, often with si clauses. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For malvivir, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Malviviría con un sueldo muy bajo si pudiera. Learn the conditional forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present perfect
Use the present perfect for recent actions and experiences, often with hoy, esta semana or ya. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For malvivir, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he malvivido en un piso sin calefacción. Learn the present perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Pluperfect
Use the pluperfect when one past action happened before another past action. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For malvivir, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había malvivido de prestado cada mes antes de salir. Learn the pluperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future perfect
Use the future perfect for something that will already be finished by a future time. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For malvivir, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré malvivido sin trabajo fijo. Learn the future perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional perfect
Use the conditional perfect for what would have happened under different conditions. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For malvivir, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría malvivido con un sueldo muy bajo con más tiempo. Learn the conditional perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present subjunctive
Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For malvivir, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él malviva en un piso sin calefacción. Learn the present subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past, and note the -ra forms shown here; the -se forms use the same stem. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For malvivir, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él malviviera de prestado cada mes, todo cambiaría. Learn the imperfect subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (affirmative)
Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For malvivir, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Malvive sin trabajo fijo! Learn the affirmative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (negative)
Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For malvivir, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No malvivas con un sueldo muy bajo. Learn the negative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with malvivir, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Malvivo con un sueldo muy bajo. — I live badly on a very low salary.
- Malvive en un piso sin calefacción. — He/she lives badly in a flat without heating.
- Ayer, malviví de prestado cada mes. — Yesterday, I lived badly on borrowed money every month.
- Antes, nosotros malvivíamos sin trabajo fijo. — Before, we used to live badly without steady work.
- Mañana, tú malvivirás con un sueldo muy bajo. — Tomorrow, you will live badly on a very low salary.
- Yo malviviría en un piso sin calefacción si tuviera más tiempo. — I would live badly in a flat without heating if I had more time.
- Él ha malvivido de prestado cada mes. — He has lived badly on borrowed money every month.
- Espero que él malviva sin trabajo fijo. — I hope he lives badly without steady work.
- Yo ya había malvivido con un sueldo muy bajo antes de salir. — I had already lived badly on a very low salary before leaving.
- Ellos malvivían en un piso sin calefacción cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to live badly in a flat without heating when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo malvive con un sueldo muy bajo. — Right: Yo malvivo con un sueldo muy bajo. — The person matters: malvive is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is malvivo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo malvivo en un piso sin calefacción. — Right: Ayer yo malviví en un piso sin calefacción. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: malvivo is happening now, while malviví is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating malvivir and vivir as identical in every context. — Right: Malvivir means to live badly, while vivir means to live. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: malvivir fits sentences such as Malvivo con un sueldo muy bajo, while vivir belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy malvivido en un piso sin calefacción. — Right: Yo he malvivido en un piso sin calefacción. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he malvivido, has malvivido, ha malvivido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo malviví de prestado cada mes todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo malvivía de prestado cada mes todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (malvivía), not the preterite. The preterite (malviví) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on malvivir. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ con un sueldo muy bajo. (present tense) A. malvivo B. malvives C. malvive D. malvivimos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ en un piso sin calefacción. (preterite) A. malviví B. malviviste C. malvivimos D. malvivió
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ de prestado cada mes. (imperfect) A. malvivías B. malvivo C. malvivíamos D. malvivía
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ sin trabajo fijo. (future) A. malviviremos B. malvivirás C. malviviré D. malvivirá
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ con un sueldo muy bajo si pudiera. (conditional) A. malviviría B. malvivirías C. malviviríamos D. malvivo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ en un piso sin calefacción. (present subjunctive) A. malvivas B. malvivamos C. malvivo D. malviva
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ de prestado cada mes, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. malviviéramos B. malvivo C. malviviera D. malvivieras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ sin trabajo fijo. (present perfect) A. ha malvivido B. hemos malvivido C. he malvivido D. has malvivido
Complete the command: ¡___ con un sueldo muy bajo! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. malvive B. malviva C. malvivamos D. malvivid
Which is the gerund of malvivir, used with estar for the progressive? A. malvivido B. malvivo C. malviví D. malviviendo
Answer key
- malvivo — The yo present tense of malvivir is malvivo.
- malvivió — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of malvivir is malvivió.
- malvivíamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of malvivir is malvivíamos.
- malvivirás — The tú future of malvivir is malvivirás.
- malviviría — The yo conditional of malvivir is malviviría.
- malviva — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of malvivir is malviva.
- malviviera — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of malvivir is malviviera.
- hemos malvivido — The nosotros/as present perfect of malvivir is hemos malvivido.
- malvive — The affirmative tú imperative of malvivir is malvive.
- malviviendo — The gerund of malvivir is malviviendo: estoy malviviendo. The participle malvivido is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does malvivir mean in English?
Malvivir means to live badly. It is used in everyday situations such as Malvivo con un sueldo muy bajo. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is malvivir regular or irregular?
Malvivir is a fully regular -ir verb, so every tense follows the standard endings for its class. Once you know the regular pattern, you can produce every form on this page, including malvivo in the present and malviví in the preterite.
What is the difference between malvivir and vivir?
Malvivir means to live badly, while vivir means to live. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use malvivir when you mean to live badly, as in Malvivo con un sueldo muy bajo, and use vivir for to live. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I live badly” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo malviví en un piso sin calefacción. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo malvivía de prestado cada mes. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he malvivido en un piso sin calefacción.
How do I practise malvivir?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the malvivir examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Malvivir in the present tense — the full present-tense table for malvivir.
- Malvivir examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for malvivir.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Intuir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with malvivir.
- Obstruir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with malvivir.
- Instruir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with malvivir.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.