French Language

Discuss and learn French: French vocabulary, French grammar, French culture etc.

French Vocab Games app for iPhone/iPad French-English dictionary French grammar French vocab/phrases

For the latest updates, follow @FrenchUpdates on Twitter!

Do you live in France?

Did you live in France?

Avez-vous vécu en France?
Résidiez-vous en France?

My question is whether a native French speaker use the verb vivre or résider in this
context. This is tricky as French has 3 verbs to select.

The following are correct. No doubt about it!
Where do you live?
Où habitez-vous ?

I live in France.
J'habite en France

                

Views: 3722

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

"Vivre" and "habiter" are a more common words than "résider". And both mean the same thing in this context. "vivre" doesn't mean to be alive but  the concept of living.  

"Résider" is more formal. résider = habiter. In an every day conversation in the street or if I meet you in an event, we don't say "résider".

The use of "vivre" or "habiter" depends on the context, on the question, on the conversation. But it's not easy to explain ...

1) I think (but I didn't think about these rules before) when there is an idea of "when" or how, rather "vivre" and when there is an idea of "where", rather "habiter".

Avez vous vécu en France ? my idea is to answer first "when"  and after "where".

Avez vous habité en France ? my idea is to answer first "where" and after "when" :  "oui j'ai habité à Paris"

to explain the idea of context :

I live in France, if I meet you in France and  you ask : where do you live ? I answer "j'habite à Paris", "J'habite rue du Louvres", ...; 

I live in France if I meet you in USA, you ask "where do you live ?" I answer "Je vis en France"

Thanks Chantal.

So French is different than English.

It is always live in English. 

I live in France/Germany/the US etc.

I live in Paris, London, Tokyo etc,

The word domicile is also used to some extent.

You may have heard the words 'country of domicile'.

I translate "country of domicile" in french by "pays de résidence".

Thanks Chantal

He lives in France/Germany.

He is living  in France/Germany is also correct. But this has some connotation of itinerant aspects. Probably for your job you travel in several countries. If this is the case, we use the -ing form.

Where is he? He is in France.

How do you write or explain this scenario in French? 

we add precisions :

"Il voyage beaucoup, en ce moment il reste en France"

"Il voyage beaucoup mais là il est en France"

"Sa résidence principale est en France mais il voyage beaucoup"

Thanks Chantal

Yes, en ce moment sounds fine to my ears though I have a smattering of French..
He lives in France.
He is living in France is also correct. However, this connotes, for me, you are on the run. Sometimes in France. Sometimes in another country.

RSS

Follow BitterCoffey on Twitter

© 2024   Created by Neil Coffey.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service