leve

See also: Leve, lève, levé, and léve

Languages (22)

Danish • Dutch • Finnish • Galician • Haitian Creole • Hungarian • Hunsrik • Ingrian • Italian • Latin • Limburgish • Middle Dutch • Middle English • Norwegian Bokmål • Norwegian Nynorsk • Old Galician-Portuguese • Portuguese • San Juan Colorado Mixtec • Serbo-Croatian • Spanish • Swedish • Votic

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Page categories

Danish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈleːʋə], [ˈleːʊ]

Etymology 1

From Old Danish liuæ, livæ, lifa, from Old Norse lifa, from Proto-Germanic *libjaną. Cognate with Swedish leva, Norwegian leve, Icelandic lifa, Dutch leven, German leben, and English live.

Verb

leve (imperative lev, infinitive at leve, present tense lever, past tense levede, perfect tense levet)

1. to live, be alive
2. to live off or live on
3. to still exist (not extinct or abolished)

   Synonym: eksistere

4. to appear present and lively

Conjugation

Conjugation of leve

active passive infinitive leve leves present lever leves past levede levedes imperative lev — participle present levende past (have / havde) levet gerund —

Related terms

• efterleve
• genleve
• gennemleve
• henleve
• hverken til at leve eller dø af
• ikke have levet forgæves
• indleve
• kongen er død, kongen leve
• leve alene
• leve fra hånden til munden
• leve højt på
• leve i bedste velgående
• leve i en kuffert
• leve i nuet
• leve i synd
• leve med
• leve med i
• leve op til
• leve på en sten
• leve på en stor fod
• leve på nas
• leve på polsk
• leve sammen
• leve sig ind i
• leve som hund og kat
• leve ud
• leve under en sten
• levealder
• leveattest
• levebrød
• levebrøds-
• levebrødsforfatter
• levebrødsmusiker
• levebrødspolitiker
• levedag
• levedygtig
• levedygtighed
• levefod
• leveforhold
• leveform
• levemand
• levemulighed
• levemåde
• levemåned
• leven
• leveomkostninger
• leveområde
• levestandard
• levested
• levetid
• levetidsforlængelse
• leveuge
• levevaner
• levevej
• levevilkår
• levevis
• leveår
• man skal lære så længe man lever
• medleve
• mennesket lever ikke af brød alene
• opleve
• overleve
• overleve sig selv
• samleve
• udleve

Etymology 2

A nominalization of the fossilized subjunctive leve (“may ... live”).

Noun

leve n (uninflected)

1. cheers

Derived terms

• leveråb

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun

leve c

1. indefinite plural of lev (“bread”, archaic)

References

• “leve” in Den Danske Ordbog
• “leve” in Ordbog over det danske Sprog

Dutch

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eːvə

Verb

leve

1. (dated or formal) singular present subjunctive of leven

Usage notes

Commonly used. Not archaic.

Anagrams

• veel, vele

Finnish

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *lebeh.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈleʋeˣ/, [ˈle̞ʋe̞(ʔ)]
• Rhymes: -eʋe
• Syllabification^(key): le‧ve
• Hyphenation^(key): le‧ve

Noun

leve

1. (dialectal, chiefly Eastern Finnish) synonym of hahtuva
2. synonym of lapo (“rakeful of hay”)

Declension

Inflection of leve (Kotus type 48*E/hame, p–v gradation)
nominative		leve	lepeet
genitive		lepeen	lepeiden lepeitten
partitive		levettä	lepeitä
illative		lepeeseen	lepeisiin lepeihin
		singular	plural
nominative		leve	lepeet
accusative	nom.	leve	lepeet
	gen.	lepeen
genitive		lepeen	lepeiden lepeitten
partitive		levettä	lepeitä
inessive		lepeessä	lepeissä
elative		lepeestä	lepeistä
illative		lepeeseen	lepeisiin lepeihin
adessive		lepeellä	lepeillä
ablative		lepeeltä	lepeiltä
allative		lepeelle	lepeille
essive		lepeenä	lepeinä
translative		lepeeksi	lepeiksi
abessive		lepeettä	lepeittä
instructive		—	lepein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of leve (Kotus type 48*E/hame, p–v gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative lepeeni lepeeni accusative nom. lepeeni lepeeni gen. lepeeni genitive lepeeni lepeideni lepeitteni partitive levettäni lepeitäni inessive lepeessäni lepeissäni elative lepeestäni lepeistäni illative lepeeseeni lepeisiini lepeihini adessive lepeelläni lepeilläni ablative lepeeltäni lepeiltäni allative lepeelleni lepeilleni essive lepeenäni lepeinäni translative lepeekseni lepeikseni abessive lepeettäni lepeittäni instructive — — comitative — lepeineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative lepeesi lepeesi accusative nom. lepeesi lepeesi gen. lepeesi genitive lepeesi lepeidesi lepeittesi partitive levettäsi lepeitäsi inessive lepeessäsi lepeissäsi elative lepeestäsi lepeistäsi illative lepeeseesi lepeisiisi lepeihisi adessive lepeelläsi lepeilläsi ablative lepeeltäsi lepeiltäsi allative lepeellesi lepeillesi essive lepeenäsi lepeinäsi translative lepeeksesi lepeiksesi abessive lepeettäsi lepeittäsi instructive — — comitative — lepeinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative lepeemme lepeemme accusative nom. lepeemme lepeemme gen. lepeemme genitive lepeemme lepeidemme lepeittemme partitive levettämme lepeitämme inessive lepeessämme lepeissämme elative lepeestämme lepeistämme illative lepeeseemme lepeisiimme lepeihimme adessive lepeellämme lepeillämme ablative lepeeltämme lepeiltämme allative lepeellemme lepeillemme essive lepeenämme lepeinämme translative lepeeksemme lepeiksemme abessive lepeettämme lepeittämme instructive — — comitative — lepeinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative lepeenne lepeenne accusative nom. lepeenne lepeenne gen. lepeenne genitive lepeenne lepeidenne lepeittenne partitive levettänne lepeitänne inessive lepeessänne lepeissänne elative lepeestänne lepeistänne illative lepeeseenne lepeisiinne lepeihinne adessive lepeellänne lepeillänne ablative lepeeltänne lepeiltänne allative lepeellenne lepeillenne essive lepeenänne lepeinänne translative lepeeksenne lepeiksenne abessive lepeettänne lepeittänne instructive — — comitative — lepeinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative lepeensä lepeensä accusative nom. lepeensä lepeensä gen. lepeensä genitive lepeensä lepeidensä lepeittensä partitive levettään levettänsä lepeitään lepeitänsä inessive lepeessään lepeessänsä lepeissään lepeissänsä elative lepeestään lepeestänsä lepeistään lepeistänsä illative lepeeseensä lepeisiinsä lepeihinsä adessive lepeellään lepeellänsä lepeillään lepeillänsä ablative lepeeltään lepeeltänsä lepeiltään lepeiltänsä allative lepeelleen lepeellensä lepeilleen lepeillensä essive lepeenään lepeenänsä lepeinään lepeinänsä translative lepeekseen lepeeksensä lepeikseen lepeiksensä abessive lepeettään lepeettänsä lepeittään lepeittänsä instructive — — comitative — lepeineen lepeinensä

Derived terms

• lepere

Galician

Etymology 1

From Old Galician-Portuguese leve, from Latin levis, from Proto-Italic *leɣwis, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁lengʷʰ- (“light”).

Adjective

leve m or f (plural leves)

1. light (of low weight; not heavy)

   Synonym: livián

2. gentle, light (having little force)

Derived terms

• levemente

Related terms

• levantar
• levar
• levidade
• livián
• lixeiro

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

leve

1. inflection of levar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Further reading

• “leve”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2026

Haitian Creole

Etymology

From French lever (“to raise”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /leve/

Verb

leve

1. (intransitive) to rise
2. (transitive) to raise, to lift

Related terms

• levasyon

References

• Targète, Jean; Urciolo, Raphael (1993), Haitian Creole-English Dictionary‎^[2], Dunwoody Press, →ISBN, page 116

Hungarian

Etymology

From the lev- stem of lé (“juice”) +‎ -e (possessive suffix).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈlɛvɛ]
• Hyphenation: le‧ve

Noun

leve

1. third-person singular single-possession possessive of lé

Declension

Inflection (stem in long/high vowel, front unrounded harmony)

	singular	plural
nominative	leve	—
accusative	levét	—
dative	levének	—
instrumental	levével	—
causal-final	levéért	—
translative	levévé	—
terminative	levéig	—
essive-formal	leveként	—
essive-modal	levéül	—
inessive	levében	—
superessive	levén	—
adessive	levénél	—
illative	levébe	—
sublative	levére	—
allative	levéhez	—
elative	levéből	—
delative	levéről	—
ablative	levétől	—
non-attributive possessive – singular	levéé	—
non-attributive possessive – plural	levééi	—

Derived terms

• olcsó húsnak híg a leve

Hunsrik

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈleːvə/

Verb

leve

1. to live

Related terms

• Leve
• levendich

Further reading

• Boll, Piter Kehoma (2021), “leve”, in Dicionário Hunsriqueano Riograndense–Português, 3rd edition (overall work in Portuguese), Ivoti: Riograndenser Hunsrickisch

Ingrian

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *lebeh. Cognates include Finnish leve and dialectal Estonian leve.

Pronunciation

• (Ala-Laukaa) IPA^(key): /ˈleʋe/, [ˈlʲe̞ʋe̞ˑ]
• (Soikkola) IPA^(key): /ˈleʋe/, [ˈle̞ʋe̞ˑ]
• Rhymes: -eʋe
• Hyphenation: le‧ve

Noun

leve

1. fluff
2. lock of hair

Declension

Declension of leve (type 6/lähe, p-v gradation, gemination)
	singular	plural
nominative	leve	leppeet
genitive	leppeen	leppein
partitive	levettä	leppeitä
illative	leppeesse	leppeisse
inessive	leppees	leppeis
elative	leppeest	leppeist
allative	leppeelle	leppeille
adessive	leppeel	leppeil
ablative	leppeelt	leppeilt
translative	leppeeks	leppeiks
essive	leppeennä, leppeen	leppeinnä, leppein
exessive1)	leppeent	leppeint
1) obsolete *) the accusative corresponds with either the genitive (sg) or nominative (pl) **) the comitative is formed by adding the suffix -ka? or -kä? to the genitive.

Derived terms

• villaleve

References

• Ruben E. Nirvi (1971), Inkeroismurteiden Sanakirja, Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, page 262

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlɛ.ve/
• Rhymes: -ɛve
• Hyphenation: lè‧ve

Noun

leve f

1. plural of leva

Anagrams

• vele

Latin

Etymology 1

Adjective

leve

1. nominative/accusative/vocative neuter singular of levis

Etymology 2

Noun

lēve n (genitive lēvis); third declension

1. smoothness

Declension

Third-declension noun (neuter, pure i-stem).

	singular	plural
nominative	lēve	lēvia
genitive	lēvis	lēvium
dative	lēvī	lēvibus
accusative	lēve	lēvia
ablative	lēvī	lēvibus
vocative	lēve	lēvia

Adjective

lēve

1. nominative/accusative/vocative neuter singular of lēvis

References

• "leve", in Charles du Fresne du Cange, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)

Limburgish

Alternative forms

• laeve, leëve (Veldeke spelling)
• léëve (Eupen spelling)

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-West Germanic *libbjan, from Proto-Germanic *libjaną.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlæː˨.və/
• (East Limburgish-Ripuarian) IPA^(key): /ˈleə̯˨.və/
• Rhymes: -æːvə, -eə̯və

Verb

leve (third-person singular present levt, preterite levde, past participle gelevt) (German-based spelling)

1. (intransitive) to live, to be alive
2. (intransitive) to dwell, to reside
3. (intransitive) to live, to exist, to occupy a place
4. (intransitive, hyperbolic, with met) to cope with, to live with, to deal with

Middle Dutch

Verb

lēve

1. inflection of lēven:
   1. first-person singular present indicative
   2. first/third-person singular present subjunctive

Middle English

Etymology 1

Old English lēaf (“permission, privilege”), from Proto-Germanic *laubō (“permission, privilege, favour, worth”), from Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ- (“to love”).

Alternative forms

• lefe

Noun

leve (plural leves)

1. leave

Descendants

• English: leave
• Scots: leve, leiv

References

• “lēve, n.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2

Noun

leve

1. alternative form of lef (“leaf”)

Etymology 3

Noun

leve

1. alternative form of love (“remainder”)

Etymology 4

Verb

leve

1. alternative form of leven

Etymology 5

Verb

leve

1. alternative form of lyven

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Old Norse lifa, from Proto-Germanic *libjaną, from Proto-Indo-European *leip- (“leave, cling, linger”).

Cognate with Swedish leva, Danish leve, Icelandic lifa, Dutch leven, German leben, English live.

Verb

leve (imperative lev, present tense lever, simple past levde or levet, past participle levd or levet, present participle levende)

1. to live

Derived terms

• etterleve
• levealder
• levebrød
• leveforhold
• levestandard
• levested
• levetid
• levevilkår
• leveår

References

• “leve” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology 1

From Old Norse lifa.

Verb

leve (present tense lever, past tense levde, supine levd or levt, past participle levd, present participle levande, imperative lev)

1. alternative form of leva
2. optative of leva

   leve kongen!

   live the king!

Etymology 2

Specialised from the optative use of leva.

Noun

leve n

1. an exclamation of "leve!"
2. (by extension) a wish for a good and long life

References

• “leve” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old Galician-Portuguese

Alternative forms

• leue

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlɛβe/
• Rhymes: -ɛβe
• Hyphenation: le‧ve

Etymology 1

Inherited from Latin levis. Doublet of lheu.

Cognate with Old Spanish lieve.

Adjective

leve m or f (plural leves)

1. light (of low weight)

   Synonyms: ligeyro, livião

2. (derogatory) idiot; stupid

Descendants

• de leve
• levemente

Descendants

• Galician: leve
• Portuguese: leve

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

leve

1. inflection of levar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

References

• Ferreiro, Manuel (2014–2026), “leve”, in Universo Cantigas: edición crítica da poesía medieval galego-portuguesa [Universo Cantigas: critical edition of Galician-Portuguese medieval poetry] (in Galician), A Coruña: University of A Coruña, →ISSN
• Seoane, Ernesto Xosé González; Granja, María Álvarez de la; Agrelo, Ana Isabel Boullón (2006–2022), “leve”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval [Dictionary of dictionaries of Medieval Galician] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Barreiro, Xavier Varela; Guinovart, Xavier Gómez (2006–2018), “leve”, in Corpus Xelmírez: corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval [Corpus Xelmírez: linguistic corpus of Medieval Galicia] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega

Portuguese

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈlɛ.vi/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈlɛ.vɨ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈlɛ.vɨ/
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈlɛ.bɨ/ [ˈlɛ.βɨ]

• Audio (Portugal (Porto)):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛvi, -ɛvɨ
• Hyphenation: le‧ve

Etymology 1

From Old Galician-Portuguese leve, from Latin levis, from Proto-Italic *leɣʷis, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁lengʷʰ- (“light”). Doublet of léu.

Adjective

leve m or f (plural leves, comparable, comparative mais leve, superlative o mais leve or levíssimo, diminutive levinho)

1. light (of low weight; not heavy)

   Synonym: ligeiro

2. gentle, light (having little force)

   Synonym: suave

Derived terms

• levemente

Related terms

• levantar
• levar
• leviano
• levidade
• ligeiro
• mão-leve

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

leve

1. inflection of levar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Further reading

• “leve”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

San Juan Colorado Mixtec

White-throated magpie-jay in Huatulco, Oaxaca, Mexico.

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

levé

1. white-throated magpie-jay (Calocitta formosa)

   Synonyms: coo iñi, coñi

References

• Stark Campbell, Sara; et al. (1986), Diccionario mixteco de San Juan Colorado (Serie de vocabularios y diccionarios indígenas “Mariano Silva y Aceves”; 29)‎^[3] (in Spanish), México, D.F.: Instituto Lingüístico de Verano, A.C., page 27

Serbo-Croatian

Adjective

leve (Cyrillic spelling леве)

1. inflection of levi:
   1. masculine accusative plural
   2. feminine genitive singular
   3. feminine nominative/accusative/vocative plural

Spanish

Alternative forms

• lieve

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin levem, probably a borrowing in this form, as it was often used primarily in learned or literary contexts. However, the older form lieve, which it replaced, was inherited.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlebe/ [ˈle.β̞e]
• Rhymes: -ebe
• Syllabification: le‧ve

Adjective

leve m or f (masculine and feminine plural leves, superlative levísimo)

1. mild, slight, light
2. minor, trivial

Related terms

• levantar
• levedad
• levemente
• ligero
• liviano
• llevar

Further reading

• “leve”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025

Verb

leve

1. inflection of levar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Swedish

Noun

leve n

1. a (proposed) cheer

   Synonym: (possibly regional) leverne

   Kungen utbringade ett fyrfaldigt leve för födelsedagsbarnet

   The king led four [the usual number in Sweden] cheers [a fourfold cheer] for the birthday girl

Declension

Declension of leve

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	leve	leves
	definite	levet	levets
plural	indefinite	leven	levens
	definite	levena	levenas

See also

• utbringa

Verb

leve

1. (archaic) present subjunctive of leva; used to express one's wish that someone or something may live long, mostly at celebration ceremonies, primarily birthday celebrations

   Leve konungen!

   Long live the king!

   Han leve! Hurra, hurra, hurra, hurra!

   (Long) may he live! Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah, hurrah!

Usage notes

One of few Swedish subjunctives still in common use.

References

• “leve”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish)
• “leve”, in Svenska Akademiens ordlista [Wordlist of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)
• “leve”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)

Anagrams

• elev

Votic

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *lebeh.

Pronunciation

• (Luutsa, Liivčülä) IPA^(key): /ˈleve/, [ˈlevʲe]
• Rhymes: -eve
• Hyphenation: le‧ve

Noun

leve

1. fluff (roll of wool for spinning)

Inflection

Declension of leve (type XIV/terve, p-v gradation, gemination)
	singular	plural
nominative	leve	leped
genitive	lepe	lepeje
partitive	levette	lepeit
illative	leppe, leppese	lepeise
inessive	lepez	lepeiz
elative	lepess	lepeiss
allative	lepelle	lepeille
adessive	lepell	lepeill
ablative	lepelt	lepeilt
translative	lepessi	lepeissi
'Standardized' inflection based on the Vaipooli dialects; see WT:AVOT. For dialectal differences between case endings, see Appendix:Votic dialects. *) the accusative corresponds with either the genitive (sg) or nominative (pl) **) the terminative is formed by adding the suffix -ssaa to the short illative (sg) or the genitive. ***) the comitative is formed by adding the suffix -ka to the genitive.

References

• Hallap, V.; Adler, E.; Grünberg, S.; Leppik, M. (2012), “leve”, in Vadja keele sõnaraamat [A dictionary of the Votic language]‎^[4], 2nd edition, Tallinn