lebt

Lebt is the third-person singular present tense form of the German verb leben, meaning to live or to be alive. It is used to express existence, residence, or a way of life, and functions as a finite verb in clauses with a singular subject. Examples include Er lebt in Berlin (He lives in Berlin) and Sie lebt gesund (She lives a healthy life). The verb can describe both literal life and a broader sense of living.

Conjugation in the present indicative is regular: ich lebe, du lebst, er/sie/es lebt, wir leben, ihr lebt, sie/Sie leben. This form appears in everyday speech and writing whenever the subject is singular in the present tense.

Etymology and related languages: leben belongs to the West Germanic family of verbs. It has cognates in related languages, such as Dutch leven and English live, reflecting a common Germanic root for the concept of life and living.

Usage notes: leben can take various prepositions to express different meanings. With in, it indicates location: Er lebt in München. With von, it can express livelihood or dependence: Sie lebt von der Musik. The noun das Leben denotes life as a concept, and is used in compounds such as Lebensstil (lifestyle) or Lebensdauer (lifespan). Understanding lebt often involves distinguishing the verb form from the noun form Leben, which is capitalized as a noun in German.