Vivre is the most common way to say “to live” in French. But there are several other options. As you learn French, you’ll undoubtedly want to talk about your life, where you reside, and the experiences that shape you. Knowing a variety of ways to express "to live" will enrich your conversations and make your French sound more natural. Let’s dive into some common ways to say “to live” (and, sometimes, more than “to live”) in French!

The most common 'to live' (and to be alive) – vivre

Vivre is the primary and most versatile verb in French for expressing 'to live' and 'to be alive'.

At its core, vivre refers to the state of being alive, existence, or having life. It's about the fundamental act of living.

As an irregular verb ending in -re, vivre has a unique conjugation pattern, particularly in the present tense: je vis, tu vis, il/elle/on vit, nous vivons, vous vivez, ils/elles vivent.

Its most direct use is to talk about whether someone or something is alive or to simply state the fact of living. For example, Il vit encore means 'He is still alive'.

Vivre also describes how one lives, their lifestyle, or to experience something. Think of phrases like vivre sa vie (to live one's life) or vivre une aventure (to experience an adventure).

While vivre can sometimes imply residing in a place (e.g., Je vis à Paris - I live in Paris), habiter is far more common and precise for 'to reside' or 'to dwell'. Vivre in this context often carries a connotation of experiencing life in that place rather than just having a dwelling.

Many common French expressions use vivre, such as vivre d'amour et d'eau fraîche (to live on love and fresh water - meaning to live simply and happily), or vivre ses rêves (to live one's dreams).

It's crucial to distinguish vivre from habiter. While vivre is about the act of living, existence, or experiencing life, habiter specifically refers to the act of dwelling in a particular place. Use habiter when you mean 'to reside' or 'to live at an address'.

Vivre is a foundational verb in French, essential for discussing life, existence, experiences, and lifestyles. Master its conjugations and various contexts to enrich your French vocabulary.

💡 * Je vis en France depuis dix ans. (I have been living in France for ten years.)

Elle vit une vie heureuse. (She lives a happy life.)

Nous vivons pour apprendre. (We live to learn.)

Il ne peut pas vivre sans musique. (He cannot live without music.)

Vivez l'instant présent ! (Live in the present moment!)

To live 'in a place' or 'to reside' – habiter

When you want to say you live in a specific place or reside somewhere in French, the verb you'll almost always use is habiter. It directly translates to 'to live' or 'to reside' when referring to a dwelling.

Unlike English, where you might simply say 'I live Paris,' French typically requires a preposition with habiter. You'll often see it followed by à (for cities), en (for feminine countries or continents), au (for masculine countries), aux (for plural countries), or dans (for specific types of dwellings or regions).

It's important to distinguish habiter from vivre. While both mean 'to live,' vivre generally refers to the act of being alive, experiencing life, or living a certain lifestyle (e.g., 'to live happily'). Habiter, on the other hand, strictly focuses on the act of dwelling or residing in a physical location.

To ask someone where they live, the most common phrase is Où habites-tu ? (informal) or Où habitez-vous ? (formal/plural). This directly uses the verb habiter to inquire about their place of residence.

Habiter is a regular -ER verb, which means its conjugation follows a predictable pattern, making it relatively easy to learn. Just remember that the 'h' is silent, so you'll often see elision (e.g., J'habite instead of Je habite).

💡 * J'habite à Paris. (I live in Paris.)

Nous habitons en France. (We live in France.)

Elle habite dans une grande maison. (She lives in a big house.)

Où habitez-vous ? (Where do you live? - formal)

Ils habitent au deuxième étage. (They live on the second floor.)

The more formal 'to reside' or 'to dwell' – demeurer

While habiter is the most common verb for 'to live' in French, demeurer offers a more formal or literary alternative, translating often as 'to reside' or 'to dwell'.

Demeurer is considerably more formal than habiter. You'll encounter it more often in written contexts, official documents, or elevated speech, rather than everyday conversation.

Its primary meaning is 'to reside' or 'to live in a place,' emphasizing a more permanent or established presence. Think of it as a sophisticated synonym for habiter.

Interestingly, demeurer also has a secondary, though less common, meaning: 'to remain' or 'to stay.' This can refer to a physical location or a state of being, similar to rester.

When you see or hear demeurer, pay attention to the context. If it's describing someone's home, it likely means 'to reside.' If it's about a situation or a person's state, it leans towards 'to remain'.

Good news for learners: demeurer is a regular -ER verb, meaning its conjugation follows predictable patterns. For example, 'I reside' is je demeure, 'you reside' is tu demeures.

In summary, use demeurer when you want to convey a sense of formality, permanence, or a more literary tone when talking about where someone lives, or in its less frequent sense, to express 'to remain'.

💡 * Il demeure dans une vieille maison à la campagne. (He resides in an old house in the countryside.)

Les enfants demeurent silencieux pendant la cérémonie. (The children remained silent during the ceremony.)

Où demeurent vos parents ? (Where do your parents reside?)

La question demeure sans réponse. (The question remains unanswered.)

Elle demeure à la même adresse depuis trente ans. (She has resided at the same address for thirty years.)

To 'lodge' or 'to stay' (in a place) – loger

The verb loger primarily means 'to lodge' or 'to house someone/something'. It implies providing or having accommodation.

When used for people, loger often translates to 'to stay' or 'to reside' in a particular place, especially for a temporary period or when someone is accommodating you.

The reflexive form, se loger, means 'to find accommodation' or 'to get oneself housed'. It emphasizes the act of finding a place to live.

Beyond people, loger can also be used to describe housing objects or animals, such as 'to house a bullet' (meaning a bullet is lodged) or 'to house animals'.

💡 * Je loge chez mes parents cet été. (I'm staying at my parents' place this summer.)

Où logez-vous pendant votre voyage? (Where are you staying during your trip?)

Nous avons du mal à nous loger à Paris. (We have trouble finding accommodation in Paris.)

Ce petit hôtel peut loger vingt personnes. (This small hotel can lodge twenty people.)

La balle s'est logée dans le mur. (The bullet lodged itself in the wall.)

To 'exist' or 'to be' – exister

The verb exister primarily means 'to exist' in French, focusing on the state of being real or present.

While it directly translates to 'to exist,' in certain contexts, it can also convey a sense of 'to be,' especially when emphasizing presence, reality, or validity rather than simple identification.

It's crucial to distinguish exister from être (to be). Être is a fundamental copula for identity, description, and location, whereas exister specifically denotes actual existence or a state of being real.

Exister is often used when discussing philosophical concepts, the presence of phenomena, or the validity of something. It carries a stronger emphasis on the reality of the subject.

Exister is a regular -ER verb, making its conjugation straightforward. It typically uses avoir as its auxiliary verb in compound tenses.

💡 * Il existe une solution à ce problème. (There exists a solution to this problem.)

Je ne savais pas que ces animaux existaient encore. (I didn't know these animals still existed.)

Pour lui, le problème n'existe pas. (For him, the problem doesn't exist.)

Est-ce que cette ville existe vraiment ? (Does this city really exist?)

Nous existons en tant qu'individus libres. (We exist as free individuals.)

To 'stay' or 'to reside' (for a period) – séjourner

The verb séjourner in French directly translates to 'to stay' or 'to reside,' but specifically implies staying somewhere for a certain period of time.

Unlike rester (to stay, often implying not moving or remaining in a state) or habiter (to live, implying permanent residence), séjourner is used for temporary stays, like during travel, a visit, or a short-term assignment.

You would use séjourner when talking about staying in a hotel, a guesthouse, a foreign country for a vacation, or with relatives for a few days or weeks. It emphasizes the temporary nature of the residence.

Séjourner is a regular -er verb and is conjugated with avoir in compound tenses. For example, j'ai séjourné (I stayed).

💡 *Nous avons séjourné trois nuits à l'hôtel. (We stayed three nights at the hotel.)
*Elle a séjourné un mois en France pour apprendre le français. (She stayed a month in France to learn French.)
*Où allez-vous séjourner pendant vos vacances ? (Where are you going to stay during your vacation?)
*Il séjourne actuellement chez ses grands-parents. (He is currently staying at his grandparents' house.)

The formal 'to reside' or 'to be domiciled' – résider

The verb résider is a more formal way to express 'to reside' or 'to be domiciled' in French, setting it apart from the more common habiter (to live).

It implies a more official, permanent, or legal dwelling and is frequently encountered in administrative documents, legal texts, or formal discussions about a person's official place of residence.

As a regular -er verb, résider follows standard conjugation patterns. Its usage immediately conveys a higher degree of formality compared to simply stating where one 'lives'.

💡 * Il réside actuellement à Paris. (He currently resides in Paris.)

Son adresse officielle où il réside est à Lyon. (His official address where he resides is in Lyon.)

Les documents indiquent qu'elle réside en France depuis 10 ans. (The documents indicate that she has resided in France for 10 years.)

Où résidez-vous ? (Where do you reside? - formal query)

Le président réside à l'Élysée. (The president resides at the Élysée Palace.)

To 'vegetate' (to live a dull life) – végéter

The French verb végéter literally means 'to vegetate,' much like its English counterpart. It stems from the Latin vegetare, meaning 'to enliven' or 'to grow,' originally referring to plant life.

However, its most common and evocative figurative use describes living a dull, inactive, or uninspired life. It strongly implies a lack of purpose, ambition, or significant activity, suggesting one is merely existing rather than truly living.

When someone says they are 'végéter,' they often express a feeling of stagnation, boredom, or being stuck in a routine without much excitement or challenge. It's a poignant way to describe a life lacking vitality.

This verb carries a slightly negative connotation, suggesting that one should be doing more or living a more fulfilling life, but isn't. It's a critique of inactivity or a monotonous existence.

💡 * Je ne veux pas juste végéter, je veux vivre pleinement! (I don't want to just vegetate, I want to live fully!)

Après sa retraite, il a commencé à végéter devant la télé. (After his retirement, he started to vegetate in front of the TV.)

Elle se sentait végéter dans son petit boulot sans avenir. (She felt like she was vegetating in her dead-end job.)

Beaucoup de jeunes végètent au chômage, sans perspective. (Many young people are vegetating in unemployment, without prospects.)

To 'subsist' or 'to survive' – subsister

The French verb subsister primarily translates to 'to subsist' or 'to survive' in English. It implies existing, often under challenging conditions, or continuing to be in existence.

When referring to living beings, subsister often carries the connotation of barely managing to live, or living with just enough to get by. It suggests a struggle for existence.

Beyond biological survival, subsister can also describe something that continues to exist or remains in place over time, such as an old tradition, a building, or a feeling, despite changes or difficulties.

As a regular -ER verb, subsister follows standard conjugation patterns, making it relatively straightforward to use in various tenses.

💡 * Ils subsistent avec très peu de ressources. (They subsist on very few resources.)

Malgré les difficultés, l'espoir subsiste. (Despite the difficulties, hope subsists/remains.)

Quelques ruines subsistent encore de l'ancien château. (A few ruins still remain from the old castle.)

Comment subsister dans un tel environnement? (How to survive in such an environment?)

Cette coutume subsiste depuis des siècles. (This custom has subsisted/persisted for centuries.)

Are there other ways to say 'to live' in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say 'to live' in French. But the French language is rich with nuances, including old-fashioned terms, regional expressions, and even new slang that might not be on our radar!

You can also do an online search for "comment dire vivre en ___" followed by a specific Francophone country or region.

You might find some interesting synonyms for vivre on this list. Of course, make sure to check a word’s definition and try to see it used in context before you use it.

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to things in French — you may discover different ways to express 'to live' or related concepts.

And if you’re looking for more ways to talk about living, or words related to life in French, the WordReference entry for vivre is a great place to start!

I hope you found this article helpful. Here’s what I think is the perfect quote to finish it with, courtesy of Voltaire: Vivre, c'est agir. (To live is to act.)

9 ways to say "to live" in French