Published March 23, 2024 • Updated August 9, 2026 — By French teacher David Issokson with native audio by Marie Assel Cambier
Vivre Meaning
Vivre means “to live” in French. It can refer to being alive, living in a particular place, or experiencing something. When talking about where someone lives, vivre is often interchangeable with habiter: Je vis à Paris means “I live in Paris.” It is also used for how someone lives (bien vivre — to live well), how long someone lives (vivre jusqu’à cent ans — to live to be 100), and experiences someone goes through (vivre une expérience — to experience something).
Vivre pronunciation
The IPA pronunciation of vivre is /vivʁ/, which sounds approximately like “veevr.”
Vivre Example sentences
Vivre vs. habiter
For expressing where you live, the verbs vivre and habiter are more or less synonymous.
Je vis à Paris. J’habite à Paris.
Both mean: I live in Paris.
While habiter could work for this next example sentence, vivre also works perfectly fine.
Pierre vit à la campagne avec sa famille.
Pierre lives in the countryside with his family.
Sentences only using vivre
As I mentioned at the beginning of the lesson, the underlying meaning of vivre has to do with being alive. Hence, French people use the verb vivre when describing the quality of a person’s life or the period during which someone lived.
Les Français vivent mieux que les Américains.
The French live better than the Americans.
These next two example sentences illustrate the underlying meaning being alive or living until a certain age.
Son grand-père vit encore.
Her grandfather is still alive.
Il va vivre jusqu’à cent ans.
He’s going to live until 100 years old.
In addition to “to live”, the underlying meaning of vivre in this next example sentence is “to go/live through” or “to experience”.
Elle a vécu une vie de bonheur.
She lived a happy life.
This next example sentence illustrates the usage of the time period when a person lived.
Louis XIV a vécu au dix-septième siècle.
Louis XIV lived during the 17th century.
Related adjectives
There are two adjectives related to vivre: vivant(e), meaning “alive, living” and vif/vive, meaning vivacious, keen or sharp.
Le poisson rouge est encore vivant.
The goldfish is still alive.
Mon oncle est un homme très vif.
My uncle is a very vivacious man.
👉 See also: Joie de vivre »
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🔗 Related words and expressions
- bien vivre — to live well
- le savoir-vivre — manners, etiquette
- vivre au jour le jour — to live from day to day
- vivre à fond — to live life to the fullest
- vivre à la campagne — to live in the countryside
- vivre en couple — to live together, live as a couple
- vivre de sa passion — to make a living from your passion
- vivre sa vie — to live your life, live your own life
- vivre aux crochets — to sponge off of
📚 Related lessons
👉 Vivre conjugation chart »
👉 la vie (life) »
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