Life
Use when talking about 'existence' or the state of being, often in a more philosophical or formal context.
Use specifically for someone's 'life story' or a biography.
Use for 'liveliness' or 'spirit', as in 'full of life'. Note that this is a masculine noun.
Life in the countryside is calm.
My grandfather had a very interesting life.
The book is about the life of Frida Kahlo.
That child is full of life (has a lot of spirit).
That's life!
The phrase 'la vida' is universally understood and is the standard term across the entire Spanish-speaking world. Variations exist in slang and idiomatic expressions, but not for the core word itself.
'La vida' is standard. The expression '¡Aguas con la vida!' is a colloquial way to say 'Be careful in life!'
'La vida' is standard. The phrase 'buscarse la vida' (literally 'to look for life for oneself') is a very common way to say 'to make a living' or 'to figure things out'.
'La vida' is standard. You might hear '¡Qué vida la mía!' as a common, sometimes dramatic, exclamation about one's own situation.
While 'la vida' is the standard term for life, the national slogan 'Pura Vida' (Pure Life) is used constantly to mean everything from 'hello' and 'goodbye' to 'everything's great'.
El vida — La vida — In Spanish, nouns have a gender. 'Vida' is a feminine noun, so it must always be used with the feminine article 'la' (the) or 'una' (a), not the masculine 'el' or 'un'.
Estoy vida. — Estoy vivo/viva. — 'Vida' is a noun meaning 'life'. To say you are 'alive', you must use the adjective 'vivo' (for a male) or 'viva' (for a female).
La vida es un regalo de el cielo. — La vida es un regalo del cielo. — This is a general but important grammar rule. When the preposition 'de' (of/from) is followed by the masculine article 'el' (the), they must combine to form the contraction 'del'. You cannot say 'de el'.
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