The preterite of vivir is used to express a completed period of living somewhere in the past. For example, you might say “I lived in Paris for two years,” indicating a defined period that has concluded.

This is a regular -ir verb that follows the standard preterite conjugation pattern. The endings are added directly to the stem ‘viv-‘ without any changes.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Vivir (to live) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

The preterite of vivir describes completed periods of living or experiencing.

Lived: Indicates a completed period of residence, for example Viví en Buenos Aires por dos años (I lived in Buenos Aires for two years). Also used for life experiences, as in Vivió una vida plena (He/she lived a full life).

Experienced: Describes going through specific experiences, for example Vivieron momentos difíciles juntos (They experienced difficult moments together).

Examples

Examples of Vivir in the Preterite (Past) Tense

Viví en París por dos años. (I lived in Paris for two years.)

¿Viviste alguna vez en el extranjero? (Did you ever live abroad?)

Mi abuela vivió hasta los noventa años. (My grandmother lived to be ninety.)

Vivimos momentos inolvidables. (We lived unforgettable moments.)

Los artistas vivieron en una comuna. (The artists lived in a commune.)

Viví una experiencia increíble. (I lived an incredible experience.)

¿Dónde viviste antes de mudarte aquí? (Where did you live before moving here?)

El escritor vivió una vida aventurera. (The writer lived an adventurous life.)

Vivimos tiempos difíciles juntos. (We lived through difficult times together.)

Los pioneros vivieron sin electricidad. (The pioneers lived without electricity.)

Viví cerca del mar. (I lived near the sea.)

¿Viviste la época de los ochenta? (Did you live through the eighties?)

Mi tío vivió del arte. (My uncle lived off art.)

Vivimos en una casa antigua. (We lived in an old house.)

Los estudiantes vivieron en residencias universitarias. (The students lived in university dorms.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Vivir (to live) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Preterite tense is also known as the Simple Past, Past Simple, Definite Past, Absolute Past, or Past Tense Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Perfecto Simple, Pretérito Indefinido, Pretérito Simple, Pasado Simple, or Pretérito de Indicativo in Spanish.