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What does vīvō mean in Ecclesiastical Latin?
The verb vīvō (to live) stands at the heart of Catholic theology and liturgy. From the Creed’s proclamation that Christ shall come “to judge the living and the dead” (iūdicāre vīvōs et mortuōs) to Saint Paul’s mystical declaration “I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me” (Vīvō autem, iam nōn ego: vīvit vērō in mē Christus), this verb carries profound spiritual weight. In Ecclesiastical Latin, vīvō extends beyond mere biological existence to encompass eternal life (vīta aetērna), spiritual vitality, and dwelling in divine presence.
As a third-conjugation verb, vīvō follows the pattern: vīvō, vīvere, vīxī, vīctum. The present stem vīv- yields forms like vīvit (he lives) and vīvunt (they live), while the perfect stem vīx- produces vīxī (I have lived) and vīxit (he lived). The related noun vīta (life) and adjective vīvus (living, alive) appear constantly throughout Scripture and liturgy.
In this lesson’s fifteen examples, you will encounter vīvō in contexts drawn from the Vulgate Bible, the Creeds, and patristic writings—reflecting the verb’s central place in expressing the Christian understanding of life, death, resurrection, and eternal existence.
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vīvō is a 3rd conjugation verb meaning “to live” -
Present forms: vīvō, vīvis, vīvit, vīvimus, vīvitis, vīvunt -
Perfect forms: vīxī, vīxistī, vīxit, vīximus, vīxistis, vīxērunt -
Theologically encompasses biological, spiritual, and eternal life -
Appears prominently in Creeds: iūdicāre vīvōs et mortuōs
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In Ecclesiastical (Church) Latin, pronunciation follows Italianate conventions: -
v = [v] as in English “vine” (not Classical [w]) -
Long ī = [i] as in “machine” -
c before e, i = [tʃ] as in “church” -
c before a, o, u = [k] as in “cat” -
ae = [e] as in “bed” -
x = [ks] as in “box”
Thus: vīvō = [ˈvi.vo], vīvit = [ˈvi.vit], vīxī = [ˈvik.si]
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1.1a Christus Christ vīvit lives
1.1b Christus (ˈkris.tus) Christ vīvit (ˈvi.vit) lives
1.2a Fīlius son tuus your vīvit lives
1.2b Fīlius (ˈfi.li.us) son tuus (ˈtu.us) your vīvit (ˈvi.vit) lives
1.3a Ego I vīvō live et and vōs you vīvētis shall-live
1.3b Ego (ˈe.go) I vīvō (ˈvi.vo) live et (et) and vōs (vos) you vīvētis (vi.ˈve.tis) shall-live
1.4a Vīvō I-live autem however iam now nōn not ego I
1.4b Vīvō (ˈvi.vo) I-live autem (ˈau.tem) however iam (jam) now nōn (non) not ego (ˈe.go) I
1.5a Vīvit lives vērō truly in in mē me Christus Christ
1.5b Vīvit (ˈvi.vit) lives vērō (ˈve.ro) truly in (in) in mē (me) me Christus (ˈkris.tus) Christ
1.6a Quī who crēdit believes in in mē me vīvet shall-live
1.6b Quī (kwi) who crēdit (ˈkre.dit) believes in (in) in mē (me) me vīvet (ˈvi.vet) shall-live
1.7a Ventūrus about-to-come est he-is iūdicāre to-judge vīvōs living et and mortuōs dead
1.7b Ventūrus (ven.ˈtu.rus) about-to-come est (est) he-is iūdicāre (ju.di.ˈka.re) to-judge vīvōs (ˈvi.vos) living et (et) and mortuōs (ˈmor.tu.os) dead
1.8a Deus God vīvus living est is et and vērus true
1.8b Deus (ˈde.us) God vīvus (ˈvi.vus) living est (est) is et (et) and vērus (ˈve.rus) true
1.9a In in fide faith vīvō I-live Fīliī of-Son Deī of-God
1.9b In (in) in fide (ˈfi.de) faith vīvō (ˈvi.vo) I-live Fīliī (ˈfi.li.i) of-Son Deī (ˈde.i) of-God
1.10a Sī if vīvimus we-live Dominō for-the-Lord vīvimus we-live
1.10b Sī (si) if vīvimus (ˈvi.vi.mus) we-live Dominō (ˈdo.mi.no) for-the-Lord vīvimus (ˈvi.vi.mus) we-live
1.11a Nōn not in by pāne bread sōlō alone vīvit lives homō man
1.11b Nōn (non) not in (in) by pāne (ˈpa.ne) bread sōlō (ˈso.lo) alone vīvit (ˈvi.vit) lives homō (ˈo.mo) man
1.12a Sanctī saints vīxērunt lived in in fide faith et and spē hope
1.12b Sanctī (ˈsank.ti) saints vīxērunt (vik.ˈse.runt) lived in (in) in fide (ˈfi.de) faith et (et) and spē (spe) hope
1.13a Sīcut as mīsit sent mē me vīvēns living Pater Father
1.13b Sīcut (ˈsi.kut) as mīsit (ˈmi.sit) sent mē (me) me vīvēns (ˈvi.vens) living Pater (ˈpa.ter) Father
1.14a Et and omnīs everyone quī who vīvit lives et and crēdit believes in in mē me
1.14b Et (et) and omnīs (ˈom.nis) everyone quī (kwi) who vīvit (ˈvi.vit) lives et (et) and crēdit (ˈkre.dit) believes in (in) in mē (me) me
1.15a Nōn not moriētur shall-die in unto aeternum eternity
1.15b Nōn (non) not moriētur (mo.ri.ˈe.tur) shall-die in (in) unto aeternum (e.ˈter.num) eternity
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1.1 Christus vīvit. “Christ lives.”
1.2 Fīlius tuus vīvit. “Your son lives.”
1.3 Ego vīvō, et vōs vīvētis. “I live, and you shall live.”
1.4 Vīvō autem iam nōn ego. “I live, yet now not I.”
1.5 Vīvit vērō in mē Christus. “Christ truly lives in me.”
1.6 Quī crēdit in mē vīvet. “He who believes in me shall live.”
1.7 Ventūrus est iūdicāre vīvōs et mortuōs. “He shall come to judge the living and the dead.”
1.8 Deus vīvus est et vērus. “God is living and true.”
1.9 In fide vīvō Fīliī Deī. “I live in faith of the Son of God.”
1.10 Sī vīvimus, Dominō vīvimus. “If we live, we live for the Lord.”
1.11 Nōn in pāne sōlō vīvit homō. “Man does not live by bread alone.”
1.12 Sanctī vīxērunt in fide et spē. “The saints lived in faith and hope.”
1.13 Sīcut mīsit mē vīvēns Pater. “As the living Father sent me.”
1.14 Et omnīs quī vīvit et crēdit in mē. “And everyone who lives and believes in me.”
1.15 Nōn moriētur in aeternum. “Shall not die unto eternity.”
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1.1 Christus vīvit.
1.2 Fīlius tuus vīvit.
1.3 Ego vīvō, et vōs vīvētis.
1.4 Vīvō autem iam nōn ego.
1.5 Vīvit vērō in mē Christus.
1.6 Quī crēdit in mē vīvet.
1.7 Ventūrus est iūdicāre vīvōs et mortuōs.
1.8 Deus vīvus est et vērus.
1.9 In fide vīvō Fīliī Deī.
1.10 Sī vīvimus, Dominō vīvimus.
1.11 Nōn in pāne sōlō vīvit homō.
1.12 Sanctī vīxērunt in fide et spē.
1.13 Sīcut mīsit mē vīvēns Pater.
1.14 Et omnīs quī vīvit et crēdit in mē.
1.15 Nōn moriētur in aeternum.
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Principal Parts: vīvō, vīvere, vīxī, vīctum
vīvō belongs to the third conjugation, characterized by the short -e- in the infinitive ending -ere. Unlike first conjugation (-āre) or second conjugation (-ēre with long ē), third conjugation verbs show considerable stem variation in their principal parts.
Present Indicative Active: -
vīvō (I live), vīvis (you live), vīvit (he/she/it lives) -
vīvimus (we live), vīvitis (you live), vīvunt (they live)
Imperfect Indicative: vīvēbam, vīvēbās, vīvēbat...
Future Indicative: vīvam, vīvēs, vīvet, vīvēmus, vīvētis, vīvent
Present Subjunctive: vīvam, vīvās, vīvat, vīvāmus, vīvātis, vīvant
Imperative: vīve (sing.), vīvite (pl.) — “Live!”
Present Participle: vīvēns, vīventis — “living”
The perfect stem shows an unusual -x- (representing -ks-), introduced by analogy with other Latin verbs. This is reflected in the supine vīctum with its -ct- cluster.
Perfect Indicative: vīxī, vīxistī, vīxit, vīximus, vīxistis, vīxērunt
Pluperfect Indicative: vīxeram, vīxerās, vīxerat...
Future Perfect: vīxerō, vīxeris, vīxerit...
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vīta, -ae (f.) — life -
vīvus, -a, -um — alive, living -
vīvificō, -āre — to give life, to vivify
In Catholic theological Latin, vīvō often takes prepositional phrases indicating the source or manner of spiritual life: -
vīvere in Christō — to live in Christ -
vīvere fidē — to live by faith (ablative of means) -
vīvere Dominō — to live for the Lord (dative of advantage)
The participial form vīvēns (living) is used as a divine epithet: Deus vīvēns (the living God), Pater vīvēns (the living Father).
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Confusing the future (vīvam) with the present subjunctive (vīvam) — context determines meaning -
Forgetting that vīvēns declines as a third-declension adjective -
Mixing up the perfect vīxī with present vīvō
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vīvō ranks among the most common Latin verbs and appears constantly in both sacred and secular texts. In Ecclesiastical Latin, however, it carries particular theological weight, expressing not merely biological existence but participation in divine life.
The verb appears in two of Christianity’s foundational creeds:
Apostles’ Creed: inde ventūrus est iūdicāre vīvōs et mortuōs — “from thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead”
Nicene Creed: Et iterum ventūrus est cum glōriā, iūdicāre vīvōs et mortuōs — “And he shall come again in glory to judge the living and the dead”
The Nicene Creed also describes the Holy Spirit as vīvificāntem (the life-giver), from the verb vīvificō (to give life).
The Vulgate Bible employs vīvō in theologically charged passages: -
Christ’s declaration “I am the resurrection and the life” is followed by quī crēdit in mē, etiam sī mortuus fuerit, vīvet (John 11:25) -
Saint Paul’s mystical utterance Vīvō autem, iam nōn ego: vīvit vērō in mē Christus (Galatians 2:20) became foundational for Christian spirituality -
Christ’s words ego vīvō, et vōs vīvētis (John 14:19) link the believer’s life to Christ’s resurrection
The Church Fathers frequently meditated on the distinction between mere biological life (vīvere) and true spiritual life (vērē vīvere). Saint Augustine distinguished between vīvere (to live) and beātē vīvere (to live blessedly), arguing that only life in God constitutes authentic existence.
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From Saint Jerome’s Vulgate, the official Latin Bible of the Catholic Church
Ego I enim for per through lēgem law lēgī to-law mortuus dead sum am ut that Deō to-God vīvam I-may-live
Ego (ˈe.go) I enim (ˈe.nim) for per (per) through lēgem (ˈle.dʒem) law lēgī (ˈle.dʒi) to-law mortuus (ˈmor.tu.us) dead sum (sum) am ut (ut) that Deō (ˈde.o) to-God vīvam (ˈvi.vam) I-may-live
Christō with-Christ cōnfīxus crucified-together sum I-am crucī to-cross
Christō (ˈkris.to) with-Christ cōnfīxus (kon.ˈfik.sus) crucified-together sum (sum) I-am crucī (ˈkru.tʃi) to-cross
Vīvō I-live autem however iam now nōn not ego I
Vīvō (ˈvi.vo) I-live autem (ˈau.tem) however iam (jam) now nōn (non) not ego (ˈe.go) I
vīvit lives vērō truly in in mē me Christus Christ
vīvit (ˈvi.vit) lives vērō (ˈve.ro) truly in (in) in mē (me) me Christus (ˈkris.tus) Christ
quod what autem however nunc now vīvō I-live in in carne flesh
quod (kwod) what autem (ˈau.tem) however nunc (nunk) now vīvō (ˈvi.vo) I-live in (in) in carne (ˈkar.ne) flesh
in in fide faith vīvō I-live Fīliī of-Son Deī of-God
in (in) in fide (ˈfi.de) faith vīvō (ˈvi.vo) I-live Fīliī (ˈfi.li.i) of-Son Deī (ˈde.i) of-God
quī who dīlēxit loved mē me et and trādidit handed-over sēmetipsum himself prō for mē me
quī (kwi) who dīlēxit (di.ˈlek.sit) loved mē (me) me et (et) and trādidit (ˈtra.di.dit) handed-over sēmetipsum (se.met.ˈip.sum) himself prō (pro) for mē (me) me
Latin: Ego enim per lēgem lēgī mortuus sum, ut Deō vīvam. Christō cōnfīxus sum crucī. Vīvō autem iam nōn ego: vīvit vērō in mē Christus. Quod autem nunc vīvō in carne, in fide vīvō Fīliī Deī, quī dīlēxit mē et trādidit sēmetipsum prō mē.
English Translation: For I through the law died to the law, that I might live to God. I am crucified together with Christ. And I live, now not I, but Christ lives in me. And what I now live in the flesh, I live in faith of the Son of God, who loved me and delivered himself for me.
Ego enim per lēgem lēgī mortuus sum, ut Deō vīvam. Christō cōnfīxus sum crucī. Vīvō autem iam nōn ego: vīvit vērō in mē Christus. Quod autem nunc vīvō in carne, in fide vīvō Fīliī Deī, quī dīlēxit mē et trādidit sēmetipsum prō mē.
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per lēgem lēgī mortuus sum — “through the law I died to the law”: double use of lēx in different cases (accusative, then dative) -
ut Deō vīvam — purpose clause with subjunctive: “that I might live to God” -
cōnfīxus sum — perfect passive of cōnfīgō: “I have been crucified together” -
vīvō... nōn ego — emphatic negation: the pronoun ego is normally unnecessary with first-person verbs -
vīvit... in mē — Christ as the subject of life within the believer -
quod... vīvō — relative clause with quod as adverbial accusative: “in that which I live” -
in fide vīvō Fīliī Deī — genitive of source/object: faith directed toward the Son of God
This passage from Saint Paul’s Letter to the Galatians represents one of the most profound expressions of mystical union in all of Scripture. Paul uses vīvō four times within two verses, creating a rich tapestry of meaning around the concept of spiritual life.
The paradox at the heart of Christian spirituality is captured in Vīvō autem iam nōn ego: vīvit vērō in mē Christus — “I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me.” The believer’s old self has died with Christ on the Cross (Christō cōnfīxus sum crucī), and a new life has begun — a life that is simultaneously the believer’s own and yet belongs entirely to Christ.
The passage influenced countless theologians, mystics, and spiritual writers, from Augustine through the medieval mystics to modern Catholic spirituality. It establishes that authentic Christian life is not self-generated but received from Christ through faith (in fide vīvō Fīliī Deī).
Citation: Jerome, Vulgate Bible, Galatians 2:19-20 (c. 405 AD)
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The following fifteen examples form a continuous narrative drawn from Christ’s words to Martha before raising her brother Lazarus from the dead.
2.1a Dīxit said eī to-her Iēsus Jesus
2.1b Dīxit (ˈdik.sit) said eī (ˈe.i) to-her Iēsus (ˈje.sus) Jesus
2.2a Ego I sum am resurrectiō resurrection et and vīta life
2.2b Ego (ˈe.go) I sum (sum) am resurrectiō (re.sur.ˈrek.ti.o) resurrection et (et) and vīta (ˈvi.ta) life
2.3a Quī who crēdit believes in in mē me
2.3b Quī (kwi) who crēdit (ˈkre.dit) believes in (in) in mē (me) me
2.4a etiam even sī if mortuus dead fuerit he-shall-have-been
2.4b etiam (ˈe.ti.am) even sī (si) if mortuus (ˈmor.tu.us) dead fuerit (ˈfu.e.rit) he-shall-have-been
2.5a vīvet shall-live
2.5b vīvet (ˈvi.vet) shall-live
2.6a Et and omnīs everyone quī who vīvit lives
2.6b Et (et) and omnīs (ˈom.nis) everyone quī (kwi) who vīvit (ˈvi.vit) lives
2.7a et and crēdit believes in in mē me
2.7b et (et) and crēdit (ˈkre.dit) believes in (in) in mē (me) me
2.8a nōn not moriētur shall-die in unto aeternum eternity
2.8b nōn (non) not moriētur (mo.ri.ˈe.tur) shall-die in (in) unto aeternum (e.ˈter.num) eternity
2.9a Crēdis believe-you hoc this
2.9b Crēdis (ˈkre.dis) believe-you hoc (ok) this
2.10a Ait says illī to-him Martha Martha
2.10b Ait (a.it) says illī (ˈil.li) to-him Martha (ˈmar.ta) Martha
2.11a Utique certainly Domine Lord
2.11b Utique (ˈu.ti.kwe) certainly Domine (ˈdo.mi.ne) Lord
2.12a Ego I crēdidī have-believed quia that tū you es are Christus Christ
2.12b Ego (ˈe.go) I crēdidī (kre.ˈdi.di) have-believed quia (ˈkwi.a) that tū (tu) you es (es) are Christus (ˈkris.tus) Christ
2.13a Fīlius Son Deī of-God vīvī living
2.13b Fīlius (ˈfi.li.us) Son Deī (ˈde.i) of-God vīvī (ˈvi.vi) living
2.14a quī who in into mundum world vēnistī have-come
2.14b quī (kwi) who in (in) into mundum (ˈmun.dum) world vēnistī (ve.ˈnis.ti) have-come
2.15a Tū you es are vīta life mea my
2.15b Tū (tu) you es (es) are vīta (ˈvi.ta) life mea (ˈme.a) my
2.1 Dīxit eī Iēsus. “Jesus said to her.”
2.2 Ego sum resurrectiō et vīta. “I am the resurrection and the life.”
2.3 Quī crēdit in mē. “He who believes in me.”
2.4 Etiam sī mortuus fuerit. “Even if he shall have died.”
2.5 Vīvet. “Shall live.”
2.6 Et omnīs quī vīvit. “And everyone who lives.”
2.7 Et crēdit in mē. “And believes in me.”
2.8 Nōn moriētur in aeternum. “Shall not die unto eternity.”
2.9 Crēdis hoc? “Do you believe this?”
2.10 Ait illī Martha. “Martha says to him.”
2.11 Utique, Domine. “Certainly, Lord.”
2.12 Ego crēdidī quia tū es Christus. “I have believed that you are the Christ.”
2.13 Fīlius Deī vīvī. “The Son of the living God.”
2.14 Quī in mundum vēnistī. “Who have come into the world.”
2.15 Tū es vīta mea. “You are my life.”
Dīxit eī Iēsus: Ego sum resurrectiō et vīta. Quī crēdit in mē, etiam sī mortuus fuerit, vīvet. Et omnīs quī vīvit et crēdit in mē, nōn moriētur in aeternum. Crēdis hoc? Ait illī Martha: Utique, Domine. Ego crēdidī quia tū es Christus, Fīlius Deī vīvī, quī in mundum vēnistī. Tū es vīta mea.
Citation: Jerome, Vulgate Bible, John 11:25-27 (c. 405 AD), with devotional conclusion
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End of Lesson 156
Next lesson: Lesson 157 — fātum (fate; death)
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