Live on meaning
Live on means to have a certain amount of money to pay for the things you need. It can also mean to eat only or mostly one kind of food.
live on something
live on · lived · living
Lots of students live on less than 800 euros a month.
Live on meanings and examples
3 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
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1
Have a certain amount of money to pay for the things you need
live on something
- Lots of students live on less than 800 euros a month.
- Can a family live on one salary in this city?
- After he retired, they lived on his pension.
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2
Eat only or mostly one kind of food
live on something
- During exams I live on toast and coffee.
- Pandas live on bamboo.
- You can’t live on pizza forever!
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3
Continue to exist or be remembered
live on
- Her music will live on for a long time.
- The old tradition still lives on in the villages.
- He died in 1990, but his ideas live on.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use live on in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is live on separable?
Live on is not separable. The money or food comes after on: live on 1,000 a month, live on rice. When it means continue to exist, it has no object: Her memory lives on.
Live off means almost the same for money and food, and also means get money from someone else: He lives off his parents.
Verb tenses for live on
| Present | I live on · she lives on |
|---|---|
| Past | lived on |
| Present perfect | have lived on |
| -ing form | living on |
Common mistakes with live on
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: We live with 1,500 dollars a month.
Right: We live on 1,500 dollars a month.
For the money you have to spend, use live on.
Wrong: I can’t live on it my salary.
Right: I can’t live on my salary.
Do not add it; the money comes straight after on.
Wrong: I live on Berlin.
Right: I live in Berlin.
For a city, use live in; live on is for money, food, or a street (UK: on Baker Street).
Synonyms and opposites of live on
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- live offget money or food from a source, often other people
- get byhave just enough money to live
- survive onstay alive with very little money or food
Opposite
- die outstop existing completely
- be forgottenno longer be remembered
Live on quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1My grandparents ___ a small pension, so they cook at home.
Live on an amount of money means use it to pay for what you need.
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2Choose the right sentence.
For food you mostly eat, use live on.
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3“The singer died, but her songs live on.” What does it mean?
Live on can mean continue to exist or be remembered.
More phrasal verbs with live
2 phrasal verbs start with live. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
Live on FAQ
Questions people ask about live on.
What is the difference between live on and live off?
For money and food they are very close. Live off often means taking money from someone else: He’s 30 and still lives off his parents.
What does live on a budget mean?
It means spend only a planned amount of money and be careful with costs.
Can you say live on a street?
Yes. UK English says live on or in a street: She lives on Mill Road. US English usually says on: I live on Elm Street.
Use live on in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.