Introduction
The French verb "vivre" means "to live" and is used to express living in a place, experiencing life, or going through certain situations. It is an essential verb for conveying both physical existence and personal experiences.
Conjugation of "Vivre"
Present Tense
- Je vis — I live
- Tu vis — You live
- Il/Elle/On vit — He/She/One lives
- Nous vivons — We live
- Vous vivez — You live
- Ils/Elles vivent — They live
Imperfect Tense
- Je vivais — I was living/I lived
- Tu vivais — You were living/You lived
- Il/Elle/On vivait — He/She/One was living/He/She/One lived
- Nous vivions — We were living/We lived
- Vous viviez — You were living/You lived
- Ils/Elles vivaient — They were living/They lived
Future Tense
- Je vivrai — I will live
- Tu vivras — You will live
- Il/Elle/On vivra — He/She/One will live
- Nous vivrons — We will live
- Vous vivrez — You will live
- Ils/Elles vivront — They will live
Perfect Tense
- J'ai vécu — I have lived/I lived
- Tu as vécu — You have lived/You lived
- Il/Elle/On a vécu — He/She/One has lived/He/She/One lived
- Nous avons vécu — We have lived/We lived
- Vous avez vécu — You have lived/You lived
- Ils/Elles ont vécu — They have lived/They lived
Pluperfect Tense
- J'avais vécu — I had lived
- Tu avais vécu — You had lived
- Il/Elle/On avait vécu — He/She/One had lived
- Nous avions vécu — We had lived
- Vous aviez vécu — You had lived
- Ils/Elles avaient vécu — They had lived
Future Perfect Tense
- J'aurai vécu — I will have lived
- Tu auras vécu — You will have lived
- Il/Elle/On aura vécu — He/She/One will have lived
- Nous aurons vécu — We will have lived
- Vous aurez vécu — You will have lived
- Ils/Elles auront vécu — They will have lived
Conditional Tense
- Je vivrais — I would live
- Tu vivrais — You would live
- Il/Elle/On vivrait — He/She/One would live
- Nous vivrions — We would live
- Vous vivriez — You would live
- Ils/Elles vivraient — They would live
Conditional Perfect Tense
- J'aurais vécu — I would have lived
- Tu aurais vécu — You would have lived
- Il/Elle/On aurait vécu — He/She/One would have lived
- Nous aurions vécu — We would have lived
- Vous auriez vécu — You would have lived
- Ils/Elles auraient vécu — They would have lived
Subjunctive Tense
- Que je vive — That I live
- Que tu vives — That you live
- Qu'il/elle/on vive — That he/she/one live
- Que nous vivions — That we live
- Que vous viviez — That you live
- Qu'ils/elles vivent — That they live
Subjunctive Perfect Tense
- Que j'aie vécu — That I have lived
- Que tu aies vécu — That you have lived
- Qu'il/elle/on ait vécu — That he/she/one has lived
- Que nous ayons vécu — That we have lived
- Que vous ayez vécu — That you have lived
- Qu'ils/elles aient vécu — That they have lived
Imperative
- Vis — Live (informal)
- Vivons — Let's live
- Vivez — Live (formal or plural)
Usage of "Vivre"
Living in a Place
- Je vis à Paris.
I live in Paris.
- Nous avons vécu en Espagne pendant trois ans.
We lived in Spain for three years.
Experiencing Life
- Elle vit une aventure incroyable.
She is living an incredible adventure.
- Ils ont vécu des moments difficiles.
They have lived through difficult times.
General Existence
- Vivre est essentiel pour apprendre.
Living is essential for learning.
- Chaque jour, nous vivons de nouvelles expériences.
Every day, we live new experiences.
Examples in Context
- Je vis avec mes parents.
- Nous vivions près de la mer quand j'étais enfant.
- Il a vécu en Australie pendant une année.
- Elle vivra à New York après ses études.
- Si je pouvais, je vivrais à la campagne.
- Nous vivons une époque de grands changements.
- Vous avez vécu une expérience unique.
- Ils vivaient dans la pauvreté avant de trouver du travail.
- Vis chaque jour comme si c'était le dernier.
- Il est important de vivre dans l'instant présent.
Expressions with "Vivre"
- Vivre au jour le jour
To live day by day
- Vivre et laisser vivre
Live and let live
- Vivre sa vie
To live one's life
- Vivre d'amour et d'eau fraîche
To live on love and fresh air (meaning to live without worries or material concerns)
"Vivre" vs. "Habiter"
While both "vivre" and "habiter" can mean "to live," they are used in slightly different contexts:
- Vivre: Emphasizes the broader experience of living, which can include place, time, and circumstances.
- Example: Je vis en France. (I live in France.)
- Habiter: Specifically refers to residing in a place, more like "to inhabit" or "to reside."
- Example: J'habite à Paris. (I live in Paris.)
Conclusion
The verb "vivre" is a powerful tool in French for expressing not only where you live but also the experiences you go through. Whether describing daily life, significant events, or personal journeys, "vivre" helps to convey the essence of existence and experience.