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Translation of German word "leben" to English

leben

/ˈleːbn/

Meaning

Verb

To be alive; to have life.

Reviewed by the TheLernen language teamDefinition sourced from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)

How to use

The weak verb leben ('to live / exist') conjugates regularly: ich lebe, du lebst, er lebt, hat gelebt. It refers to the general concept of being alive, lifestyle, or living in a country/continent (Ich lebe in Deutschland). Unlike wohnen, it is not restricted to a specific apartment address.

🇬🇧 English

to live

Example

Es wird nicht erwartet, dass er länger als ein paar Monate lebt.

He is not expected to live more than a few months.

Ich wohne in der Acacia Avenue 2a.  Zu diesem Zeitpunkt lebte ich seit etwa sechs Monaten in einem Wohnmobil.

I live at 2a Acacia Avenue.  At this point, I had been living in an RV for about six months.

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Synonyms

to existwohnen

Common phrases

  • gesund leben— to live healthily / lead a healthy life
  • in Armut leben— to live in poverty
  • Es lebe ...!— Long live ...!

More Core Verbs words

🦊 Conjugation of the verb "leben"Full conjugation →

Present Tense (Präsens)

ich (I)lebe
du (you)lebst
er/sie/es (he/she/it)lebt
wir (we)leben
ihr (you pl.)lebt
sie/Sie (they/you formal)leben

Simple Past (Präteritum)

ich (I)lebte
er/sie/es (he/she/it)lebte

Perfect (Perfekt)

ich bin/lebt ...

Imperative (Imperativ)

dulebe
ihrlebt
Sieleben

Frequency rank: #192 in German

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the definition of the German word "leben"?▼

The German word "leben" is defined as: "To be alive; to have life."

What does the German word "leben" mean?▼

The German word "leben" means "to live" in English.

How do you pronounce the German word "leben"?▼

You can hear the correct audio pronunciation of the word "leben" by clicking the play button next to the word at the top of this page.

Can I see an example sentence with "leben"?▼

Yes, here is a practical example: "Es wird nicht erwartet, dass er länger als ein paar Monate lebt." (which translates as "He is not expected to live more than a few months.").

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