život

Czech

Etymology

Inherited from Old Czech život, from Proto-Slavic *životъ (compare Old Church Slavonic животъ (životŭ), Russian живот (život), Serbo-Croatian život), probably from a derivative of Proto-Indo-European *gʷih₃wo-teh₂ (compare Lithuanian gyvatà (“life”), Sanskrit जीवित (jīvitá), Avestan 𐬔𐬀𐬌𐬌𐬊 (gaiio, “life”) (accusative 𐬘𐬌𐬌𐬁𐬙𐬎𐬨 (jiiātum))), Ancient Greek βῐ́οτος (bíotos), Latin vīta, Old Irish bethu, bethad, Welsh bywyd), ultimately from *gʷeyh₃- (“to live”), compare *gʷih₃wós (“alive”). Related to žít (“to live”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈʒɪvot]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ži‧vot

Noun

život m inan (related adjective životní)

1. life

   běžný život ― ordinary life, regular life

Declension

Declension of život (hard masculine inanimate)

	singular	plural
nominative	život	životy
genitive	života	životů
dative	životu	životům
accusative	život	životy
vocative	živote	životy
locative	životě	životech
instrumental	životem	životy

Derived terms

adjectives

• celoživotní
• doživotní
• životaschopný
• životní

 

adverb

• doživotně

 

nouns

• doživotí
• milostný život
• společenský život
• umělý život
• způsob života
• životabudič
• životopis

 

• život není peříčko

Related terms

• See žít

• živý

 

Further reading

• “život”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935-1957
• “život”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “život”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech)

Old Czech

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *životъ, probably from a derivative of Proto-Indo-European *gʷih₃wo-teh₂, ultimately from *gʷeyh₃- (“to live”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (13^th CE) /ˈʒiʋot/
• IPA^(key): (15^th CE) /ˈʒivot/

Noun

život m inan

1. life

Declension

Declension of život (hard o-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	život	životy	životi, životové
genitive	života, životu	životú	životóv
dative	životu	životoma	životóm
accusative	život	životy	životy
vocative	živote	životy	životi, životové
locative	životě, životu	životú	životiech
instrumental	životem	životoma	životy

This table shows the most common forms around the 13th century.
See also Appendix:Old Czech nouns and Appendix:Old Czech pronunciation.

Related terms

• žíti
• živý

Descendants

• Czech: život

Further reading

• Jan Gebauer (1903–1916) “život”, in Slovník staročeský (in Czech), Prague: Česká grafická společnost "unie", Česká akademie císaře Františka Josefa pro vědy, slovesnost a umění

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *životъ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʒǐʋot/
• Hyphenation: ži‧vot

Noun

žìvot m (Cyrillic spelling жѝвот)

1. life

Declension

Declension of život

	singular	plural
nominative	žìvot	živòti
genitive	živòta	živótā
dative	živòtu	živòtima
accusative	žìvot	živòte
vocative	žȉvote	živòti / žȉvoti
locative	živòtu	živòtima
instrumental	živòtom	živòtima

Related terms

• živjeti/živeti
• živ
• živežne namirnice

Slovak

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *životъ (compare Old Church Slavonic животъ (životŭ), Russian живот (život), Serbo-Croatian život), probably from a derivative of Proto-Indo-European *gʷih₃wo-teh₂ (compare Lithuanian gyvatà (“life”)). Related to žiť (“to live”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈʒivɔt]

Noun

život m inan (genitive singular života, declension pattern of dub)

1. life

   Antonym: smrť

Declension

Declension of život

	singular	plural
nominative	život	životy
genitive	života	životov
dative	životu	životom
accusative	život	životy
locative	živote	životoch
instrumental	životom	životmi

Derived terms

• živôtik
• doživotie
• životopis
• životopisec

Related terms

• žiť
• živý
• životný

Further reading

• “život”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2024