Живети covers being alive, residing somewhere, and conducting one’s life. It is an imperfective state verb with the regular i-class present живим, but it has no single neutral perfective partner meaning simply “complete living.” Its Ekavian–Ijekavian forms also alternate inside the paradigm, so learners need more than the two infinitives живети / живјети.
Principal Forms
| Form | Ekavian | Ijekavian Serbian |
|---|---|---|
| infinitive | живети | живјети |
| present | живим, живиш, живи, живимо, живите, живе | живим, живиш, живи, живимо, живите, живе |
| l-participle (m./f./n. sg.; m./f./n. pl.) | живео, живела, живело; живели, живеле, живела | живио, живјела, живјело; живјели, живјеле, живјела |
| imperative | живи, живимо, живите | живи, живимо, живите |
| Future I | живећу; ћу живети | живјећу; ћу живјети |
This guide uses Ekavian productively. Notice that Ijekavian је appears in живјети, живјела, but masculine singular has живио. The present живим and imperative живи are identical in both standard varieties. Regional живити occurs, including in parts of the BCMS area, but standard Ijekavian Serbian uses живјети, not живити.
Живим у Панчеву, али радим у Београду три дана недељно.
I live in Pančevo, but I work in Belgrade three days a week.
Живјела сам у Бијељини док нисам завршила средњу школу.
I lived in Bijeljina until I finished secondary school. (Ijekavian Serbian; female speaker)
Residing Somewhere
Residence uses the location preposition required by the place: у + locative for most cities, countries, rooms, and buildings; на + locative in established expressions such as на селу, на острву, на Златибору.
Моји родитељи живе у малом стану близу железничке станице.
My parents live in a small apartment near the railway station.
После пензионисања желе да живе на селу, далеко од саобраћаја.
After retiring, they want to live in the countryside, far from traffic.
With people, живети с(а) + instrumental says who shares the household. Живети код + genitive profiles accommodation at someone’s home and is common when the arrangement or host matters.
Од прошле године живим са сестром и делимо трошкове.
Since last year, I’ve been living with my sister, and we share the expenses.
Док реновирају стан, Марко живи код тетке.
While his apartment is being renovated, Marko is staying at his aunt’s.
The second sentence can be temporary even though живети itself does not mark permanence. If temporary presence rather than residence is the point, боравити “stay/reside” is more formal and одсести “stay temporarily” is appropriate for hotels and visits.
English Perfect, Serbian Present
For a state that began in the past and still continues, English uses a present perfect: I have lived here for five years. Serbian normally uses present живим with већ + duration or од + starting point.
Овде живимо већ шест година и добро познајемо све комшије.
We have lived here for six years and know all the neighbors well.
У овом крају живи од 2019. године.
She has lived in this neighborhood since 2019.
Past живео/живела сам normally places the residence wholly or contextually in the past.
Као студент сам живео у дому, а сада изнајмљујем гарсоњеру.
As a student I lived in a dormitory, and now I rent a studio apartment. (male speaker)
This tense contrast is more important than matching the English auxiliary word for word.
Being Alive and the Adjective жив
Живети presents life as a state or process. Бити жив describes the condition “be alive,” often contrasting it with death or uncertainty.
Корњаче могу да живе веома дуго ако имају добре услове.
Tortoises can live for a very long time if they have good conditions.
После два дана потраге пронашли су пса живог и неповређеног.
After two days of searching, they found the dog alive and unhurt.
English uses live for both residence and being alive. Serbian живети у Нишу and бити жив divide those functions when a static adjective is more informative.
The imperative Живи! is possible and means “Live!” as encouragement or rhetoric. In toasts and acclamations, agreeing l-participles function optatively: Живео! Живела! Живели! “Long live... / Cheers!” This is a conventional formula, not an ordinary past statement.
Живели младенци!
Long live the newlyweds! / Cheers to the newlyweds! (toast)
No Single Perfective Partner
Because living is an atelic state, Serbian does not have a simple perfective meaning “finish living” as a neutral aspect mate. Prefixed verbs divide the semantic territory:
| Verb | Meaning |
|---|---|
| поживети | live for some time longer; reach a certain span of life |
| преживети | survive; live through an ordeal |
| доживети | live to see/reach; experience |
| проживети | spend or live through a bounded period/life |
Лекари очекују да ће после операције поживети још много година.
The doctors expect that he will live for many more years after the operation.
Прабаба је доживела стоти рођендан окружена породицом.
Great-grandmother lived to celebrate her hundredth birthday surrounded by family.
Преживели су поплаву, али су изгубили готово све ствари.
They survived the flood but lost almost all their belongings.
These prefixes change lexical meaning. Do not select one merely because English tense looks completed. The broader principle is explained in aspect pairs are not synonyms.
Living From, On, and For Something
Живети од + genitive identifies income, support, or sustenance. Живети за + accusative identifies something to which a person devotes life, often emotionally.
Многе породице у том крају живе од туризма током летње сезоне.
Many families in that area make their living from tourism during the summer season.
Не желим да живим само за посао и заборавим пријатеље.
I don’t want to live only for work and forget my friends.
These are selected prepositional meanings. A residence still uses у/на + locative, not од or за.
Impersonal живи се
Како се живи? asks what life is like; овде се добро живи evaluates general living conditions without a nominative subject. The dative can identify an experiencer.
У овом граду се мирно живи, али су кирије високе.
Life is peaceful in this city, but rents are high.
Лепо ми се живи поред реке, иако дуже путујем на посао.
I enjoy living by the river, although my commute to work is longer.
This impersonal се is not the ordinary lexical frame of живети. Neutral живим у граду has no се.
Micro-dialogue
„Где сада живиш?“ — „У Земуну, са две другарице.“ — „Колико дуго живите заједно?“ — „Већ годину дана, а пре тога сам живела код родитеља.“
‘Where do you live now?’ — ‘In Zemun, with two friends.’ — ‘How long have you lived together?’ — ‘For a year now; before that I lived with my parents.’ (female speaker in the final answer)
Serbian present живите covers the continuing period asked about; past живела сам marks the earlier residence as closed.
Practice Tasks
Task 1: Choose tense and location frame
Translate “I have lived in Niš for four years,” “I used to live with my aunt,” and “They want to live in the countryside.” Explain why the continuing first state uses the Serbian present.
Task 2: Keep Ijekavian consistent
Give the Ijekavian infinitive and masculine/feminine l-participles of живети. Then write one fully Ijekavian sentence without mixing an Ekavian member of the same pattern.
Common Mistakes
❌ Живљем близу факултета са двојицом колега.
Incorrect — the present stem is жив-, so the first-person form is живим.
✅ Живим близу факултета са двојицом колега.
I live near the university with two colleagues.
❌ Живео сам овде од пет година.
Incorrect English transfer — a continuing duration uses present живим with већ, not past tense with од.
✅ Овде живим већ пет година.
I have lived here for five years.
❌ Моја породица живи у село близу Зајечара.
Incorrect location marking — the established expression is на селу with the locative.
✅ Моја породица живи на селу близу Зајечара.
My family lives in the countryside near Zaječar.
❌ Живио сам у Сарајеву и волео сам тај град.
Incorrect mixture — живио is Ijekavian while волео is Ekavian; keep one reflex consistently.
✅ Живио сам у Сарајеву и волио сам тај град.
I lived in Sarajevo and loved that city. (Ijekavian Serbian; male speaker)
Key Takeaways
- Ekavian живети has живим, живео/живела, живећу.
- Standard Ijekavian uses живјети — живим — живио/живјела; regional живити is not the unmarked standard form.
- Continuing residence takes present: овде живим већ пет година.
- Residence selects у/на + locative, co-residence с(а) + instrumental, and livelihood од + genitive.
- Prefixed поживети, преживети, доживети, проживети add distinct meanings; none is a purely mechanical perfective twin.
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