Live in Different Languages
Discover 'Live' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'live' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, denoting the act of having a continuous existence and being alive. It's a concept that transcends cultural boundaries and is vital to human experience. From poetry to song lyrics, 'live' is a word that resonates deeply within us.
Throughout history, 'live' has been a source of inspiration for philosophers, scientists, and artists alike. From the moment we're born, we begin to live, and it's this very experience that shapes our perspectives, beliefs, and values. As such, understanding the word 'live' in different languages can provide us with a unique window into other cultures and ways of thinking.
For instance, did you know that in Spanish, 'live' is 'vivo', while in French, it's 'vivant'? Or that in German, 'live' is 'leben' and in Japanese, it's 'ikiru'? These translations offer us a glimpse into the rich tapestry of language and culture that exists around the world.
In the following list, you'll find the translations of 'live' in over 50 languages. Whether you're a language enthusiast, a world traveler, or simply curious, this list is sure to inspire and enlighten you.
Live
Live in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | leef | ||
| The Afrikaans word "leef" also means "leaf" due to both deriving from the Old English word "lēaf" | |||
| Amharic | ቀጥታ | ||
| In Amharic, 'ቀጥታ' also means 'straight' or 'directly,' implying a live broadcast's uninterrupted and immediate nature. | |||
| Hausa | rayu | ||
| "Rayu" also means "to pass time" or "to reside" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | dịrị ndụ | ||
| Malagasy | velona | ||
| The word "velona" in Malagasy can also mean "alive" or "life". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | khalani ndi moyo | ||
| Shona | rarama | ||
| Rarama also means 'to exist' or 'to be' in Shona, and derives from this sense the meaning 'to live' | |||
| Somali | noolow | ||
| In Somali, "noolow" also refers to a person's lineage, ancestry, or descendants. | |||
| Sesotho | phela | ||
| In Sesotho, the word "phela" also means "to come to life or revive" and can be used in the context of resuscitation or rebirth. | |||
| Swahili | kuishi | ||
| "Kuishi" also means "to be", "to exist", and "to dwell" in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | phila | ||
| The word "phila" in Xhosa can also mean "to be alive" or "to have life." | |||
| Yoruba | gbe | ||
| "Gbe," meaning "live," also conveys "exist," "be situated," and "abide". | |||
| Zulu | phila | ||
| "Phila" in Zulu also means "to be well" or "to be in good health." | |||
| Bambara | ka balo | ||
| Ewe | nɔ agbe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kubaho | ||
| Lingala | kofanda | ||
| Luganda | kubeera | ||
| Sepedi | phela | ||
| Twi (Akan) | te ase | ||
Live in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | حي | ||
| حي can also mean "a district", "a region", or "a neighborhood" | |||
| Hebrew | לחיות | ||
| The Hebrew word לחיות (live) is related to the Arabic word لحم (meat) and the Aramaic word לחמ (bread), highlighting the importance of sustenance to life in the ancient world. | |||
| Pashto | ژوندی | ||
| The word "ژوندی" may also refer to "the state of being alive," or "the time during which something exists" in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | حي | ||
| حي can also mean "a district", "a region", or "a neighborhood" | |||
Live in Western European Languages
| Albanian | jetoj | ||
| The term “jetoj” is an archaic Albanian word meaning “life” and is the root for several other Albanian words like “jetoh” meaning “live” or “jeta” meaning “time”. | |||
| Basque | bizi | ||
| "Bizi" also means "we" in Basque, leading to jokes about Basque people living forever. | |||
| Catalan | viure | ||
| The Catalan word "viure" shares a common root with the Latin "vivere" and the English word "victory". | |||
| Croatian | uživo | ||
| Uživo in Croatian can refer to a broadcast that happens in real time or a performance in front of an audience | |||
| Danish | direkte | ||
| Direkte is both a loan from German meaning live and a derivative of dire meaning straight in Latin | |||
| Dutch | leven | ||
| "Leven" in Dutch also means "life" or "life span," derived from the Proto-Germanic term "libainaz," meaning "to remain alive." | |||
| English | live | ||
| The word "live" derives from the Old English word "libban," meaning "to be alive" or "to dwell". In addition to its common meaning of "to exist," "live" can also mean "to reside" or "to behave in a particular way". | |||
| French | vivre | ||
| From Latin vivĕre, "to be alive," from an Indo-European word related to *bhiwo-, "to be," in modern Persian bu-, "fragrance," Albanian "je," "am". | |||
| Frisian | libje | ||
| The Frisian word "libje" can also mean "to stay". | |||
| Galician | vivir | ||
| The Galician word "vivir" finds its origin in the Latin "vivere" and has the alternative meaning of "to stay", "to reside" or "to dwell". | |||
| German | leben | ||
| The German word "Leben" comes from the Old High German "leban", which meant "to remain" or "to exist". | |||
| Icelandic | lifa | ||
| The word ''lifa'' can also mean ''to heal'' or ''to recover'' in Icelandic. | |||
| Irish | beo | ||
| Beo also means alive, lively, active, fresh, raw, or undiluted. | |||
| Italian | vivere | ||
| In Italian, the verb "vivere" may also refer to the state of being alive or the condition of life rather than just the act of living itself. | |||
| Luxembourgish | liewen | ||
| The verb "liewen" in Luxembourgish also means "to experience", "to feel", or "to undergo". | |||
| Maltese | jgħix | ||
| "Jgħix", "live" in Maltese, also means "exist" or "dwell" in a place or environment. | |||
| Norwegian | bo | ||
| In Swedish, "bo" means "to live", while in Norwegian, it means "to reside" or "to dwell". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | viver | ||
| The verb "viver" in Portuguese can also mean "to reside" or "to be alive", in addition to "to live". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | beò | ||
| The Gaelic word "beò" can also mean "alive," "living," or "existing." | |||
| Spanish | en vivo | ||
| The Spanish term "En Vivo" literally translates to "In Live", highlighting the ongoing and dynamic nature of the event being described. | |||
| Swedish | leva | ||
| In Swedish, the word "leva" not only means "to live", but it also refers to the act of betting, as well as the verb "to leave" in the nautical context. | |||
| Welsh | byw | ||
| The verb 'byw' can also mean 'to exist' or 'to be alive', reflecting its connection to the noun 'bywyd' ('life'). | |||
Live in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | жыць | ||
| "Жыцьё" (pronounced [ʐɨt͡sʲjɔ]) is a derivative of the verb "жыць" (pronounced [ʐɨt͡sʲ]) and means "life" in Belarusian. However, it can also mean "to live" in some contexts, especially when used in the imperative mood. | |||
| Bosnian | uživo | ||
| The word 'uživo' can also be a noun in Bosnian, meaning 'performance'. It is derived from the South Slavic root živa, which means 'life'. | |||
| Bulgarian | на живо | ||
| "На живо" can also mean "in person" or "directly" in Bulgarian, indicating a physical presence or immediacy. | |||
| Czech | žít | ||
| The Czech word "žít" also means to "nourish" or "feed", a sense that is retained in the Slovak language. | |||
| Estonian | elama | ||
| The verb "elama" is related to "ela" - to breathe. | |||
| Finnish | elää | ||
| In addition to the meaning "to live," "elää" also means "to burn" and "to bloom." | |||
| Hungarian | élő | ||
| The word 'élő' also means 'vivid' and is related to the word 'életerő', meaning 'vitality'. | |||
| Latvian | tiešraide | ||
| The word "tiešraide" in Latvian derives from the word "tiešs" (straight) and refers to the direct transmission of an event. | |||
| Lithuanian | gyventi | ||
| The word "gyventi" in Lithuanian is derived from the Proto-Baltic word "gīventī", which also meant "to be awake". | |||
| Macedonian | во живо | ||
| The Macedonian word "во живо" (pronounced "vo zhivo"), meaning "live" or "in person," is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *živo, meaning "life" or "existence." | |||
| Polish | relacja na żywo | ||
| The Polish word "relacja na żywo" can also mean "live broadcast" or "live news report". | |||
| Romanian | trăi | ||
| The word "Trăi" in Romanian can also mean "experience" or "go through". | |||
| Russian | прямой эфир | ||
| Прямой эфир in Russian initially meant "direct air". | |||
| Serbian | уживо | ||
| The Serbian word "уживо" not only means "live" but also "in person", "directly", or "in front of an audience". | |||
| Slovak | žiť | ||
| In ancient times, 'žiť' had another meaning and meant 'to feed'. | |||
| Slovenian | v živo | ||
| "V živo" also means "in person" and "directly" in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | жити | ||
| The Ukrainian word "жити" (zhyty) is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*gʰei-" ("to live, be alive"). | |||
Live in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | লাইভ দেখান | ||
| The Bengali word "লাইভ দেখান" ("live") can also refer to a live television broadcast or a live stream. | |||
| Gujarati | જીવંત | ||
| The origin of the word "જીવંત" is unknown but it is related to the Avestan word "Jivant" that means "life force or breath" and to the Sanskrit word "Jeev" that means "living being". | |||
| Hindi | लाइव | ||
| The Hindi word 'लाइव' ('live') also means 'a braid', 'a plait', and 'a row or line'. | |||
| Kannada | ಲೈವ್ | ||
| The Kannada word "ಲೈವ್" can also refer to "brightness" or "luster". | |||
| Malayalam | തത്സമയം | ||
| Marathi | राहतात | ||
| The word "राहतात" can also mean "to exist" or "to occur" in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | जीवित | ||
| The word "जीवित" in Nepali is derived from the Sanskrit word "जीव" (jīva), meaning "life" or "soul". | |||
| Punjabi | ਲਾਈਵ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਲਾਈਵ" is a transliteration of the English word "live" and carries the same meaning in both languages, referring to something that is alive, current, or happening in real time. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සජීවි | ||
| The Sinhala word "sajeevi" can also refer to a "living being". | |||
| Tamil | வாழ | ||
| The Tamil word 'வாழ' (vAzh) not only means 'to live' but also refers to the banana tree and banana fruit. | |||
| Telugu | ప్రత్యక్ష ప్రసారం | ||
| The word "pratyaksha prasaaram" is derived from the Sanskrit word "pratyaksha" meaning "perceptible by the senses". | |||
| Urdu | زندہ رہنا | ||
Live in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 生活 | ||
| In ancient Chinese, 生活 (live) meant "to live together with," with the left portion indicating "together" and the right portion indicating "human being." | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 生活 | ||
| 生活 (shēnghuó) can also mean "birth," "birthplace," or "life." | |||
| Japanese | 住む | ||
| “住む” originally meant to settle down, and only acquired the meaning “live” around 1500 CE. | |||
| Korean | 라이브 | ||
| 라이브는 영어 'live'의 차용어로, '생방송' 외에도 '라이브 음악' 등의 뜻으로도 쓰입니다. | |||
| Mongolian | амьдрах | ||
| The word "амьдрах" likely originates from the Proto-Mongolic root *ami-/*eme-, meaning "to breathe". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အသက်ရှင်သည် | ||
Live in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | hidup | ||
| Hidup, "live" in Indonesian, also means "to work" and is derived from the Malay word "hidu" which means "to breathe". | |||
| Javanese | urip | ||
| "Urip" in Javanese has an alternate meaning of "the state of being alive". | |||
| Khmer | រស់នៅ | ||
| "រស់នៅ" can also mean "to exist" or "to be in existence". | |||
| Lao | ອາໄສຢູ່ | ||
| Malay | hidup | ||
| Hidup also means 'existing' in Malay, as in 'the universe is not finite but is hidup (existing)'. | |||
| Thai | มีชีวิต | ||
| Etymology: Thai มีชีวิต (mi: chiwit) comes from Sanskrit जीवित (jīvita), meaning "life" or "living being." | |||
| Vietnamese | trực tiếp | ||
| "Trực tiếp" also has an alternative meaning of "directly", likely originating from its original sense as a noun meaning "straight line". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mabuhay | ||
Live in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | yaşamaq | ||
| "Yaşamaq" also has a meaning of "to be" in the Eastern dialects. | |||
| Kazakh | өмір сүру | ||
| The word "өмір сүру" (ömir suru) in Kazakh can also mean "to exist" or "to continue being alive." | |||
| Kyrgyz | жашоо | ||
| The term "жашоо" has extended meanings encompassing existence, subsistence, and conduct in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | зиндагӣ кардан | ||
| The word «зиндан» (zindān) in Persian means "a prison" or "a place of confinement," which suggests a parallel meaning of the word "зиндагӣ кардан" in Tajik as "being imprisoned". | |||
| Turkmen | ýaşa | ||
| Uzbek | yashash | ||
| In Persian, it also means "glory" and "radiance". In Russian, it means "live", "be" and "exist". | |||
| Uyghur | live | ||
Live in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ola | ||
| The Hawaiian word "ola" also means "health" and "well-being". | |||
| Maori | ora | ||
| In Maori, "ora" can also refer to "health" or "well-being". | |||
| Samoan | ola | ||
| The Samoan word "ola" also means "to wake" or "to rise". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | mabuhay | ||
| In the language of the Bontok tribe, “mabuhay” means “come to life.” | |||
Live in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jakaña | ||
| Guarani | ko | ||
Live in International Languages
| Esperanto | vivi | ||
| The Esperanto word "vivi" (live) derives from the Latin word "vivere" (to live) and is related to the English word "vital". | |||
| Latin | vivet | ||
| The verb "vivet" in Latin is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "gwei-w-e" meaning "to be alive" and also means "to dwell" or "to live in a certain place". | |||
Live in Others Languages
| Greek | ζω | ||
| "ζω" (pronounced "zo") can also refer to meat that is raw and bloody or cooked in various ways. | |||
| Hmong | nyob | ||
| The Hmong word "nyob" also has the alternate meaning of "to reside, or stay in a place". | |||
| Kurdish | jîyan | ||
| The Kurdish word "jîyan" originally meant "life" or "soul" and also referred to "the world" in the pre-Islamic period. | |||
| Turkish | canlı | ||
| The Turkish word "canlı" can also refer to a "lively" or "vibrant" person or thing, or to a "creature" or "animal." | |||
| Xhosa | phila | ||
| The word "phila" in Xhosa can also mean "to be alive" or "to have life." | |||
| Yiddish | לעבן | ||
| The Yiddish word "לעבן" ("leben") is derived from the German "leben" and also means "life." | |||
| Zulu | phila | ||
| "Phila" in Zulu also means "to be well" or "to be in good health." | |||
| Assamese | জীয়াই থকা | ||
| Aymara | jakaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | जियल | ||
| Dhivehi | ދިރިއުޅުން | ||
| Dogri | जींदा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mabuhay | ||
| Guarani | ko | ||
| Ilocano | agbiag | ||
| Krio | tap | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ژیان | ||
| Maithili | सीधा प्रसारण | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯍꯤꯡꯕ | ||
| Mizo | nung | ||
| Oromo | jiraachuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଜୀବନ୍ତ | ||
| Quechua | kawsay | ||
| Sanskrit | निवसति | ||
| Tatar | яшә | ||
| Tigrinya | ንበር | ||
| Tsonga | hanya | ||