The verb of the day is Habiter. I am writing this post in the same format as the first post of this challenge. Again, if you find any correction, please do not hesitate to point out. I am a French language learner, not a teacher. I'd appreciate the courteous and constructive feedback." I have divided the post into these main sections:
- Pronunciation Link
- Meaning of this Verb
- Conjugation of the verb in different tenses and moods
- Commonly used phrases with this verb
- Proverb with this verb
- Appearance of this verb in any song or textbook
Now, let's live this day with the verb "habiter."
Pronunciation Link
To know the correct pronunciation of this verb, click here. Don't you love the dog in this video?
Meaning of the Verb
"Habiter" means to live. If I want to say that I live in Delhi, I would say "J'habite à Delhi. However, if I wish to say I live in India, I would use en instead of à. I'll write "J'habite en Inde."
Conjugation of this verb in various tenses and moods
1. Indicatif – Generally, Indicatif is used to state facts.
- Présent – It is similar to Present tense of English. We use this form to express facts, conditions, habits, and routine.
The sample sentences, as per my knowledge, could be:
I write whenever I can.
You don't like drama.
We love reading books.
They have money, but they do not have a heart.
- J'habite(Subject) live or is/are/am livingTu habitesIl habiteNous habitonsVous habitezIls habitent
- Passé Composé – It resonates with Present Perfect and Past forms of English language. This form is utilized to a talk about the actions that were completed in the past, and we wish to draw the attention towards its results.
I went to get a manicure in the morning.
He did not go to the office today.
I did not have the courage at that moment.
- J’ai habité(Subject) lived, I have livedTu as habitéIl a habitéNous avons habitéVous avez habitéIls ont habité
- Imparfait – Imparfait form is used to write about description, habit, and actions that occurred simultaneously in the past.
It was a beautiful day.
He was having a rough day.
I used to ride a bicycle in the rain.
- Je habitais(Subject) was living/ used to liveTu habitaisIl habitaitNous habitionsVous habitiezIls habitaient
- Plus-que-parfait – This is the French version of “Past perfect” of English language. If you are narrating an incident that occurred in the past, and I you wish to include a detail that happened even before the time of that incident, you use plus-que-parfait form.
I had studied a lot before I could get a job.
He had practiced his speech in front of the mirror before he went in front of a huge audience.
- J’avais habité(Subject) had livedTu avais habitéIl avait habitéNous avions habitéVous aviez habitéIls avaient habité
- Passé simple – Similar to Passé Composé, Passé simple is used to describe completed actions in the past and the actions that were interrupted in the past. Being same as Passé Composé, its examples are similar to Passé Composé.
Last year, I went to Bali.
While I was in Bali, I admired nature for hours.
- Je habitai(Subject) livedTu habitsIl habitaNous habitâmesVous habitâtesIls habitèrent
- Passé antérieur – This is same as Past Perfect of English language. This form is mostly used in literature.
As soon as I was in the library, I decided to issue the book “Pride and Prejudice.”
After my grandfather had worked for sixty years, he started gardening.
- J’eus habité(Subject) had livedTu eus habitéIl eut habitéNous eûmes habitéVous eûtes habitéIls eurent habité
- Futur – Futur is same as Future tense of English language. This form comes into picture when we are either expressing an intended action in the future or making an assumption in both present and future. Also, it may be used to make a polite request.
Tomorrow, I will write a song.
You will never write a song.
Would Irine help me with the song?
If you ask her, you will know.
- Je habiterai(Subject) will liveTu habiterasIl habiteraNous habiteronsVous habiterezIls habiteront
- Futur antérieur – Remember future perfect tense? Futur antérieur is its brother :) When you are imagining or considering something to happen in the future or something that might have happened in the past, you use this form.
He'll probably have had three boxes of cereal or he had drank three cartons of milk. (I know it's a stupid sentence, but I couldn't think of something else.)
By the time we'll reach, they will have hidden the evidence. (Crime investigation drama kicking in!)
- J’aurai habité(Subject) will have livedTu auras habitéIl aura habitéNous aurons habitéVous aurez habitéIls auront habité
- Future proche – Future Proche form is used to describe an event or action that is either definite to occur in a short while or planned to happen in the future.
I am going to get a laptop in two minutes. (I'm not :( )
My sister is getting ready in a minute.
- Je vais habiter(Subject) is/are/am living/about to liveTu vas habiterIl va habiterNous allons habiterVous allez habiterIls vont habiter
- Conditionnel – This mood is used to express statements of possibility and condition.
- Présent – If we wish to express a possibility about present or future from a past point of view, then this would be my choice of sentence form.
I would like to be an author, someday.
Drashti thought that she might go on a vacation to Paris.
If she went to Paris, she could become a model.
Arun, could you stop teasing me?
- Je habiterais(Subject) would liveTu habiteraisIl habiteraitNous habiterionsVous habiteriezIls habiteraient
- Passé – Imagine that you are telling about an incident that happened in the past, where you expressed a possibility, then this is the form you need to be using. Of course, it is confusing, but don't worry. Hopefully, sample sentences will help in making it understandable.
If I had gone with you, I would have scolded him.
My grandfather would have sorted our problems if we had asked him.
*Tip – Use Conditionnel Passé in that part of the sentence that indicates a result of the action.
- J’aurais habité(Subject) would have livedTu aurais habitéIl aurait habitéNous aurions habitéVous auriez habitéIls auraient habité
- Passé - forme alternative – This form is used in literary formats of writing. Not my cup of tea! The same thought can be expressed by using above form.
- J’eusse habité(Subject) would have livedTu eusses habitéIl eût habitéNous eussions habitéVous eussiez habitéIls eussent habité
- Subjonctif – This mood of expressions focuses on various emotions, such as doubt, a fear, subjectivity, hope.
- Présent the – If the main part of the sentence is in present form, then the part after que, expressing emotions, will be in subjonctif présent form. Confused? Well, hopefully, sample sentences will clear the air.
It is important to me that my family eats dinner together.
I am happy that my readers like my blog.
- que je habitethat (Subject) live(s) or is/are/am livingque tu habitesqu’il habiteque nous habitionsque vous habitiezqu’ils habitent
- Imparfait –If the main part of the sentence is in past form, then the part after que, expressing emotions, will be in subjonctif imparfait form. However, this form is used in literary docs. For ordinary usage, subjonctif passé is our guy.
- que je habitassethat (Subject) lived or that (Subject) was/were livingque tu habitassesqu’il habitâtque nous habitassionsque vous habitassiezqu’ils habitassent
- Plus-que-parfait – Again, this form is also used in literary documents.
- que j’ eusse habité(Subject) would live or livedque tu eusses habitéqu’il eût habitéque nous eussions habitéque vous eussiez habitéqu’ils eussent habité
- Passé – If main part of the sentence is in past form, then the part after que, expressing emotions, will be in subjonctif passé form. Other than this, if we are expressing emotions about somebody's past, then too, we use this form.
I had wished that he would succeed in his hunt for a decent job.
He is afraid that he received love from everybody only for his money.
- que j’aie habitéthat (Subject) lived or that (Subject) was livingque tu aies habitéqu’il ait habitéque nous ayons habitéque vous ayez habitéqu’ils aient habité
- Impératif – This mood is utilized to give orders.
- Présent – There is nothing to explain here. This form is utilized in giving orders.
Take me to the mall!
Drive me to the airport!
Sit with me!
Don't talk to me!
- habiteLive!habitonsLet's live!habitezLive!
Commonly used phrases with this verb
Some of the examples with this verb are:
- aller habiter - move into
- habiter chez - live with
Proverbs using this verb
I could not find a proverb using habiter; however, to keep this section worthwhile, I am writing a french quote that uses this verb. Le Corbusier's famous quote uses the verb "habiter," and here it is:
Une maison est une machine-à-habiter.
This means that a house is a machine for living in. Source: https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Le_Corbusier
Appearance of this verb in any song or famous textbook
Dans la ville où j’habite
il y a beaucoup à faire.
Il y a beaucoup à voir
et oui, ça c’est clair.
C’est une ville sympa,
une ville calme et tranquille.
J’aime bien où j’habite,
j’aime bien ma petite ville.
Dans la grande place
il y a un marché
et en face de l’église
il y a un musée.
À côté de la gare
se trouve la mairie,
et près de la piscine
il y a une pharmacie.
En face du parc
il y a une librairie
et juste à côté,
une boulangerie.
Il y a aussi
un centre commercial
qui se trouve en face
de l’hôpital.
Sources: http://ouicestca.com/, http://french.about.com/, https://francais.lingolia.com, https://francais.lingolia.com/en/grammar/verbs/conditionnel,
Very comprehensive lessons in French! My son is learning French in school and I have a very basic vocabulary from an introductory course that I did ages back. Very useful bit of information in your post Ankita.Makes me want to learn the language now :)
ReplyDeleteI am so glad that I could be the source of your desire to learn this beautiful language, Esha :)
DeleteMy hubby took many years of French in junior high school. He can read French very well but understanding the spoken language, as he says, is another thing. He thanks you for the French lesson!
ReplyDeleteRhonda at AlbomAdventures.com
One of Alex's ninja minions
Your husband is absolutely right. Understanding the spoken language takes a lot of effort, patience, and reading the transcript.
DeleteI thank you and your husband for taking the time to read my post, Rhonda!
The comprehensive post has left me scratching my head. I can only remember habite means live. I guess I will have to start reading from your very first post on French verbs. A few years ago I developed the inclination to learn spanish, started with common words and sentences and then swept all of it under the carpet.
ReplyDeleteI get what you're saying, Anamika. I started these posts for the audience who has a basic understanding of the language. However, once a to z challenge ends (on 30th April) I am planning to start writing posts for the people who wish to learn this language from the scratch.
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