Vivir Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish

The present tense of vivir — to live — is the form you need for habits, facts and what is happening now. Vivir means to live and to be alive: vivir en Madrid, vivir solo, vivir bien. It is a regular -ir verb and the model for the whole -ir family. Vivir de is to live on or off something, and ¿dónde vives? is one of the first questions learners ask. This page gives you the complete present tense table for vivir, how it is formed, when to use it, the mistakes learners make with it, and a quiz to check yourself. The first example shows it in action: “Yo vivo en Madrid desde 2019.” — “I have lived in Madrid since 2019”.

Present tense conjugation of vivir

Every form in the table below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for vivir. Vivir is a regular -ir verb, so you can build the present tense from the regular endings once you know the stem.

Present tense indicative — vivir

Person Form
yo vivo
tú vives
él/ella/Ud. vive
nosotros/as vivimos
vosotros/as vivís
ellos/ellas/Uds. viven

The gerund of vivir is viviendo and the past participle is vivido. You need the participle for the perfect tenses and the gerund for the progressive with estar.

How the present tense of vivir is formed

For a regular -ir verb, the present tense is built on the stem viv- (the infinitive vivir without its -ir ending) plus the present tense endings: yo → vivo, tú → vives, él/ella/Ud. → vive, nosotros/as → vivimos, vosotros/as → vivís, ellos/ellas/Uds. → viven. So vivir gives vivo, vives, vive, vivimos, vivís and viven. There is nothing irregular to memorise for this verb in this tense — the endings do all the work, and the stress falls where the endings put it.

A note on spelling: the written accents in this tense are part of the form, not decoration. In the present tense, vivís carries an accent, and leaving it out changes the pronunciation and, in writing, marks the form as wrong. Copy the forms from the table above exactly, accents included.

When to use the present tense of vivir

1. Habits and routines

Use the present for things you do regularly. For example, with vivir: “Yo vivo en Madrid desde 2019.” — “I have lived in Madrid since 2019”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

2. General truths and facts

Use the present for things that are always true. For example, with vivir: “Ella vive sola en un piso pequeño.” — “She lives alone in a small flat”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

3. What is happening right now

Use the present for actions in progress at this moment. For example, with vivir: “Nosotros vivimos cerca de la playa.” — “We live near the beach”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

4. Scheduled plans and the near future

Use the present for fixed plans, especially with a time expression. For example, with vivir: “Ellos viven en una casa con jardín.” — “They live in a house with a garden”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

Present vs future: vivir now, vivir later

The present and the future both talk about things that have not happened yet in one sense, but they are not interchangeable. The present is for what is true now or already fixed; the future is for what will happen and is not yet certain. Compare the pairs below — the present form comes from this page, the future form from the full conjugation table.

  • Present tense tense: “Yo vivo en Madrid todos los días.” — “I live in Madrid every day.”

  • Future: “Yo viviré en Madrid mañana.” — “Tomorrow I will live in Madrid.”

  • Present tense tense: “Ella vive en Madrid ahora.” — “She lives in Madrid now.”

  • Future: “Ella vivirá en Madrid la semana que viene.” — “Next week she will live in Madrid.”

  • Present tense tense: “Nosotros vivimos en Madrid en clase.” — “We live in Madrid in class.”

  • Future: “Nosotros viviremos en Madrid el lunes.” — “On Monday we will live in Madrid.”

Example sentences: vivir in the present tense

Six sentences using only the present tense of vivir, with English translations. Read them aloud — saying the forms is the fastest way to fix them in memory.

  • “Yo vivo en Madrid desde 2019.” — “I have lived in Madrid since 2019.”
  • “Ella vive sola en un piso pequeño.” — “She lives alone in a small flat.”
  • “Nosotros vivimos cerca de la playa.” — “We live near the beach.”
  • “Ellos viven en una casa con jardín.” — “They live in a house with a garden.”
  • “¿Tú vives con tus padres?” — “Do you live with your parents?”
  • “Vosotros vivís muy bien aquí.” — “You live very well here.”

Common mistakes with vivir in the present tense

Mistake 1

Wrong: Yo vivo en Madrid — learners confuse vivir with estar.

Right: Yo vivo en Madrid.

Living somewhere is vivir en, not estar en as a permanent home.

Mistake 2

Wrong: ¿Dónde vives? — learners answer with ser.

Right: Yo vivo en Madrid.

The answer to ¿dónde vives? uses vivir, not ser.

Quiz: vivir in the present tense

Eight questions on the present tense of vivir. Answers with explanations follow each question.

1. What is the yo form of vivir in the present tense?

  • A) vivo
  • B) vives
  • C) vive
  • D) vivimos

Answer: A — The yo form in the present tense is vivo.

2. What is the tú form of vivir in the present tense?

  • A) vivo
  • B) vive
  • C) vivimos
  • D) vives

Answer: D — The tú form in the present tense is vives.

3. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of vivir in the present tense?

  • A) vives
  • B) vivimos
  • C) vive
  • D) vivo

Answer: C — The él/ella/Ud. form in the present tense is vive.

4. What is the nosotros/as form of vivir in the present tense?

  • A) vive
  • B) vivimos
  • C) vivo
  • D) vives

Answer: B — The nosotros/as form in the present tense is vivimos.

5. Fill in the blank: “Yo ___ en Madrid desde 2019.” (I have lived in Madrid since 2019.)

  • A) vivo
  • B) vives
  • C) vive
  • D) vivimos

Answer: A — The sentence needs vivo.

6. Fill in the blank: “Ella ___ sola en un piso pequeño.” (She lives alone in a small flat.)

  • A) vivo
  • B) vives
  • C) vivimos
  • D) vive

Answer: D — The sentence needs vive.

7. Which sentence is correct?

  • A) Yo vivo en Madrid — learners confuse vivir with estar.
  • B) Yo vivo en Madrid.

Answer: B — Living somewhere is vivir en, not estar en as a permanent home.

8. Which sentence is correct?

  • A) Yo vivo en Madrid.
  • B) ¿Dónde vives? — learners answer with ser.

Answer: A — The answer to ¿dónde vives? uses vivir, not ser.

Frequently asked questions

Is vivir regular in the present tense?

Yes. vivir is a regular -ir verb and its present tense follows the standard endings, so once you know the stem viv- you can build all six forms. The only thing to watch is the spelling of the endings themselves, including the accents.

What is the yo form of vivir in the present tense?

It is vivo. The yo form is the one learners use most and the one that most often breaks the pattern — for vivir it is the form to learn first, before the rest of the table.

When do I use the present tense of vivir instead of the preterite?

Use the present when the action is a habit, a fact, or happening now, and the preterite when it is a finished action in the past. If you can add “yesterday” to the sentence and it still makes sense, you almost certainly need the preterite, not the present.

How can I remember the present tense forms of vivir?

Say the six forms aloud in order — vivo, vives, vive, vivimos, vivís, viven — three times a day for a week, always in a sentence, never as a bare list. Then use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test yourself, and the full conjugation page for vivir to see the verb in every tense.

Say it yourself

Reading is not enough — say the verb aloud before you move on. Use the forms from the tables on this page and answer these three prompts as full sentences. First, say a sentence about yourself in the present tense: “Yo vivo…”. Second, say a sentence about yesterday in the preterite: “Ayer yo viví…”. Third, say a sentence about tomorrow in the future: “Mañana yo viviré…”. If you can answer all three without looking at the tables, the forms are starting to stick. If you hesitate, go back to the examples above, read them aloud twice, and try again. Speaking the forms is what turns a table you have seen into a verb you can use.

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