The phrase "Where do you live?" in Spanish is:
- ¿Dónde vives? (informal, when speaking to someone you know well or a peer)
- ¿Dónde vive? (formal, when speaking respectfully to someone, like a stranger or elder)
The verb "vivir" (to live) is conjugated accordingly: "vives" for informal tú, and "vive" for formal usted
. You do not translate the auxiliary "do" from English; Spanish forms the question simply with the interrogative "¿Dónde?" (Where?) plus the verb conjugated for the subject. Example answers to this question use the structure:
-
Vivo en [city/country/region] (I live in [city/country/region])
For example: -
Vivo en México. (I live in Mexico)
-
Vivo en Madrid. (I live in Madrid)
In summary:
English| Spanish (informal)| Spanish (formal)
---|---|---
Where do you live?| ¿Dónde vives?| ¿Dónde vive?
And to say "I live in...":
English| Spanish
---|---
I live in [place]| Vivo en [lugar].
This is the standard and most common way to ask and answer about someone's residence in Spanish.
