vida útil
nounCEFR B2
What does “vida útil” mean in English?
lifetime, lifespan — the duration of a person's or thing's active existence
lifetime, lifespan — the duration of a person's or thing's active existence (a lo largo de su vida útil; vida media)
Example sentences
A lo largo de su vida útil, una persona en edad laboral cambiará de profesión varias veces.
Over the course of their working lifetime, a person of working age will change profession several times.
El fabricante garantiza una vida útil de diez años para todos los componentes del sistema.
The manufacturer guarantees a ten-year lifespan for all system components.
Aumentar la vida media de la población sin aumentar los años de vida saludable no es un logro real.
Increasing average lifespan without increasing healthy life years is not a genuine achievement.
How to use it
La vida útil (noun phrase, feminine) means 'lifetime' or 'lifespan' — the active duration of a person's life, or the operational life of a product. Key collocations: a lo largo de su vida útil; vida útil del producto; vida media (average lifespan); alargar/acortar la vida útil. In human contexts, vida refers to the whole span; vida útil in technical contexts refers to a product or asset's operational life. The concept vida laboral (working life) is related but distinct.
Common mistake
Vida útil in product/technical contexts = operational lifespan. In human contexts, vida (life) is more natural than vida útil (which emphasises productive/active years). A lo largo de su vida (throughout their life) is broader. Vida laboral = working career. Don't confuse with duración (duration — of an event or period, not a life).