Any Italians out there....I need help

[Hockeychic]

My DD wants to get a tattoo that says either
Live the Life or
Live your life
in Italian but we are getting many different spellings

Can anyone help us.


Thank you

Kim

 

[Jennasis]

Vive la vita (live the life)

Vive la vostra vita (live your life)

FIVE years of honors level Italian and I had to go to babelfish for the translation! Sheesh. Number one is definitely right, not so sure about two.

 

[Hockeychic]

Thank you!!!!

We where getting

Viva La Vita
for live the life?

Would the e or a make a big difference

 

[BCDisneyFanatic]

Thank you!!!!

We where getting

Viva La Vita
for live the life?

Would the e or a make a big difference

I think you want to use Viva La Vita. Viva is the imperative verb conjugation (making it a 'command'), versus vive which is the present tense (making it a statement of fact).

 

[Jennasis]

I think you want to use Viva La Vita. Viva is the imperative verb conjugation (making it a 'command'), versus vive which is the present tense (making it a statement of fact).

I think my brain just exploded.

 

[Pluto 2]

why does she want it in italian if she doesnt speak the language? what is wrong in having it in english?

 

[Hockeychic]

Thank you all for the info.

I asked her the same thing...get it in English, but she has visited Italy many times and loves, the country, culture and people so that is why she has picked Italian

 

[MAH4546]

The context matters.

"Viva la vita" is "live the life!" (command form)

"Vivo la vita" is "I live the life."

"Vivi la vita" is "live the life as I want it."

Also, in English, "the life" could mean it in the plain sense, and it also means it in "I am living the life," but in Italian, "la vita" just means it in the plainest sense of the word. The translation of "the life" would be "la bella vita."

Just goes to show why you should get tattoos in a language you speak. There are too many intracities otherwise, its difficult to pinpoint what you want to say.