Vive la différence
- idiom
- /viːv lɑː dɪfˈɛrɪns/
:
¡Viva la diferencia!
- She smiled at their distinct tastes and raised her glass, saying, 'Vive la différence!'
Examples
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At the multicultural event, speakers encouraged attendees by saying, 'Vive la différence.'
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Whenever a debate sparked over their varying opinions, someone would exclaim, 'Vive la différence!'
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Celebrate Vive la différence!
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Let's say Vive la différence!
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At the multicultural festival, the host raised a toast and joyfully declared, 'Vive la différence!'
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During the discussion on cultural diversity, she enthusiastically shouted, 'Vive la différence!'
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As the group shared their unique experiences, one member exclaimed, 'Vive la différence!'
Surface Forms
Morphology
Vive + la + différence
The expression literally composes French 'vive' (≈ 'long live' or an exclamatory celebratory verb), 'la' ('the') and 'différence' ('difference'), so a learner who knows the constituents can directly infer 'long live the difference' and thus the sense of celebrating diversity. This mirrors the common 'long live X' construction found across languages, making the phrase transparently interpretable for someone familiar with the parts.
Etymology
The exclamation Vive la différence comes from French cheers where Vive means 'long live' and la différence means 'the difference'. People started saying this line to praise variety and individual styles, so today it is used to 'celebrate differences'.
