French Verb Focus: Vivre (To Learn)

Verb Vivre – to live

The verb vivre means to live, which of course has many uses. The most unusual thing about it is the past participle, ‘vécu’.

PRESENT TENSE

Je vis – I live, I am living
Tu vis – you live, you are living (singular, familiar)
Il vit – he/it lives, he/it is living
Elle vit – she/it lives, she/it is living
Nous vivons – we live, we are living
Vous vivez – you live, you are living (polite, plural)
Ils vivent – they live, they are living (m.)
Elles vivent – they live, they are living (f.)

PERFECT TENSE (PASSE COMPOSE)

J’ai vécu – I have lived, I lived, I did live
Tu as vécu – you have lived, you lived, you did live
Il a vécu – he/it has lived, he/it lived, he did live
Elle a vécu – she/it has lived, she/it lived, she did live
Nous avons vécu – we have lived, we lived, we did live
Vous avez vécu – you have lived, you lived, you did live
Ils ont vécu – they have lived, they lived, they did live
Elles ont vécu – they have lived, they lived, they did live

FUTURE TENSE

Je vivrai ma vie. – I will live as I please.
Tu vivras sur ta réputation. – You will live on the strength of your reputation.
Il vivra de sa musique. – He will earn his living from his music.
Elle vivra tres bien avec son salaire. – She will live very comfortably on her salary.
Nous vivrons en banlieu. – We will live in the suburbs.
Est-ce que vous vivrez longtemps à l’étranger? – Will you live abroad for a long time?
Ils vivront comme mari et femme. – They will live as husband and wife.
Elles vivront vieilles. – They will live to a ripe old age.

IMPERFECT TENSE

Je vivais en France pendant la guerre. – I was living in France during the war.

CONDITIONAL TENSE

Je vivrais à Londres si j’avais les moyens. – I would live in London if I had the means to.

IMPERATIVE

vis – live (tu form)
vivons – let’s live
vivez – live (vous form)

SUBJUNCTIVE

Il ne faut pas que nous vivions dangereusement. – We must not live dangerously.

With thanks to Elizabeth Allen