Meanings
present singular third person makes a living · participle present making a living · participle past made a living · past made a living
- To earn enough income to support oneself and, if applicable, one's family.
You found paradise in America. You had a good trade, made a good living.
1972 March 14, Mario Puzo, Francis Ford Coppola, The Godfather, spoken by Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), Paramount PicturesSynonyms: earn a living, bring home the bacon, carry one's weight, earn a living, earn one's corn, earn one's crust, earn one's keep, keep the home fires burning
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo earn enough income to support oneself and, if applicable, one's family.
Translations
Arabic اِرْتَزَقَ
- اِرْتَزَقَ (irtazaqa)earn enough income
Bulgarian изкарвам си прехраната, изкам си прехраната
- изкарвам си прехраната (izkarvam si prehranata)earn enough income
- изкам си прехраната (izkam si prehranata)earn enough income
- препитавам се (prepitavam se)earn enough income
- издържам се (izdăržam se)earn enough income
- издържа се (izdărža se)earn enough income
Catalan guanyar-se la vida
- guanyar-se la vidaearn enough income
Chinese Cantonese 搵食 /揾食
- 搵食 /揾食 (wan² sik⁶)earn enough income
Chinese Mandarin 過活 /过活, 營生 /营生
- 過活 /过活 (guòhuó)earn enough income
- 營生 /营生 (yíngshēng)earn enough income
- 謀生 /谋生 (móushēng)earn enough income
- 糊口 (húkǒu)earn enough income
- 混飯吃 /混饭吃 (hùnfànchī)earn enough income
Czech uživit se
- uživit seearn enough income
Danish dagen og vejen
- dagen og vejenearn enough income
Dutch zich in zijn levensonderhoud voorzien
- zich in zijn levensonderhoud voorzienearn enough income
Finnish tulla toimeen, ansaita elantonsa
- tulla toimeenearn enough income
- ansaita elantonsaearn enough income
French gagner sa vie
- gagner sa vieearn enough income
Greek βγάζω το ψωμί μου
- βγάζω το ψωμί μου (vgázo to psomí mou)earn enough income
Hebrew הִתְפַּרְנֵס
- הִתְפַּרְנֵס (hitparnés)earn enough income
Hungarian él (with -ból/-ből), megél
- él (with -ból/-ből)earn enough income
- megélearn enough income
Icelandic komast af
- komast afearn enough income
Italian guadagnarsi da vivere
- guadagnarsi da vivereearn enough income
Japanese 生計を立てる, 食べていく
- 生計を立てる (seikei o tateru)earn enough income
- 食べていく (tabete iku)earn enough income
- 暮らしを立てる (kurashi o tateru)earn enough income
Latin mereo
- mereoearn enough income
Persian اِمرارِ مَعاش کَردَن
- اِمرارِ مَعاش کَردَن (emrâr-e maāš kardan)earn enough income
Polish zarabiać na życie, zarobić na życie
- zarabiać na życieearn enough income
- zarobić na życieearn enough income
- utrzymywać sięearn enough income
- utrzymać sięearn enough income
Portuguese ganhar a vida
- ganhar a vidaearn enough income
Romanian a-și câștiga existența, a-și câștiga traiul
- a-și câștiga existențaearn enough income
- a-și câștiga traiulearn enough income
Russian зараба́тывать на жизнь, зарабо́тать на жизнь
- зараба́тывать на жизнь (zarabátyvatʹ na žiznʹ)earn enough income
- зарабо́тать на жизнь (zarabótatʹ na žiznʹ)earn enough income
Scottish Gaelic thoir aran
- thoir aranearn enough income
Slovak uživiť sa
- uživiť saearn enough income
Spanish ganarse la vida, ganarse las lentejas
- ganarse la vidaearn enough income
- ganarse las lentejasearn enough income
- ganarse las habichuelasearn enough income
- ganarse los garbanzosearn enough income
Swedish försörja sig, tjäna sitt levebröd
- försörja sigearn enough income
- tjäna sitt levebrödearn enough income
Thai ทำมาหากิน
- ทำมาหากิน (tam-maa-hǎa-gin)earn enough income
Vietnamese kiếm sống
- kiếm sốngearn enough income
Cite this entry
make a living. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/make%20a%20living
“make a living.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/make%20a%20living. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “make a living,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/make%20a%20living.
Source: make a living on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.