Viváis

Viváis is the second-person plural present subjunctive form of the Spanish verb vivir (to live). It is used with the pronoun vosotros/vosotras, which is common in Peninsular Spanish and in some Latin American communities that maintain a vosotros form in informal address. In Latin American varieties that do not use vosotos, the corresponding present subjunctive forms are often vivan (for ustedes) rather than viváis.

Form and formation

Viváis is formed from the stem vivir (viv-) plus the present-subjunctive ending for vosotros (-áis) in the -ir verb conjugation pattern: vosotros viváis. The verb’s spelling includes an accent on the a in áis to indicate the proper stress pattern.

Usage

The present subjunctive mood expresses doubt, desire, emotion, possibility, or non-real situations in dependent clauses. Viváis appears in clauses introduced by que, ojalá, quizá, cuando, aunque, or after verbs of wishing, wanting, fearing, or negation. Examples: Espero que vosotros viváis en paz. Quiero que viváis cerca de la playa. Cuando viváis en la ciudad, aprenderéis sus costumbres. In dialects that do not use vosotros, the corresponding forms use ustedes (vivan) rather than viváis.

Pronunciation and orthography

Pronunciation varies by dialect, but an approximate standard in Castilian Spanish is [biˈβáis] or [biˈβa.is], with the accent on the a in áis. The word includes an acute accent on the a to mark the stress.

See also

Spanish verb conjugation, Present subjunctive in Spanish, Vosotros in Spanish varieties.