м., само ед.
1. life; the vital spark; борба на ~ и смърт a life-and-death struggle, a war/fight to the death/to the knife, a mortal combat; боря се на ~ и смърт fight for dear life; връщам към ~ restore to life; възникване на ~а на Земята the origin of life on earth; давам ~ на give life/birth to; давам нов ~ reinvigorate; ~ и здраве да е God willing, if all goes well; ~ът ни е много кратък our life is but a span; между ~а и смъртта between life and death, within an inch of death;
2. (жизненост) life, vitality, energy; изпълнен с ~ full of life/амер. pep, brimming over with life/vitality; лице, лишено от ~ a face devoid of animation;
3. (период) life, lifetime; до ~ till o.’s death, as long as one lives; за цял ~ for life, until death, for the term of o.’s life; застраховка за ~ life insurance; през целия си ~ in all o.’s born days, in all o.’s life/days; той цял ~ работи върху това it was his lifework, he worked on it all his life;
4. (биография) life;
5. прен. (съществувание) life, existence; the world; какъв ~ се живееше тогава those were (good) times; няма ~ life is hard; няма ~ за мен I’m done for, it’s all over with me; това е ~ът such is life; това ~ ли е? it’s a dog’s life; успявам в ~а get on in life; rise in the world;
6. (начин на живеене) life, living; водя безпътен ~ live a dissipated life, fling o.’s cap over the mill; водя редовен ~ lead a regular life, keep regular hours; водя скромен ~ live in a small way; ~ът не е само удоволствия life is not a bed of roses, life is not roses all the way; започвам нов ~ start a new life, turn over a new leaf; приятен ~ a pleasant life; cakes and ale; редовен ~ regular habits, a regular way of life; удрям го на ~ go on the burst, burn the candle at both ends, go the pace, live it up;
7. (икономически условия) cost of living; икономическият ~ на страната the country’s economic life; условия за ~ living conditions;
8. (действителност) life, real life, reality;
9. (сговор) agreement, harmony; няма ~ с тях they are hard to get on with; • гледам си ~a take good care of o.s.; ~ът му висеше на косъм it was touch-and-go with him; средства за ~ livelihood, means of subsistence; те са хора на ~а they like to live it up, they indulge themselves.