Vivre Conjugation in French: Complete Tables, Rules, and Examples

The French verb vivre translates directly to "to live" or "to experience." As an irregular third-group verb (verbe du 3ᵉ groupe), it does not follow standard conjugation rules like regular -er or -ir verbs. Mastering the conjugation of vivre is essential for everyday conversations, describing your life experiences, and discussing where you reside.

In this complete guide from My-French, you will find all the conjugation tables you need, phonetic notes, common idiomatic expressions, and clear rules to distinguish vivre from habiter.

1. Present Tense (Présent de l'indicatif)

In the singular forms (je, tu, il/elle), the stem reduces to vi-, and the final consonants are silent. In the plural forms (nous, vous, ils/elles), the stem becomes viv-.

Subject Pronoun French Form Pronunciation (IPA) English Translation
:--- :--- :--- :---
Je vis /vi/ I live
Tu vis /vi/ You live (informal)
Il / Elle / On vit /vi/ He / She / One lives
Nous vivons /vi.vɔ̃/ We live
Vous vivez /vi.ve/ You live (formal/plural)
Ils / Elles vivent /viv/ They live

Example: Je vis en France depuis deux ans. (I have been living in France for two years.)

2. Past Tenses

Passé Composé (Compound Past)

The verb vivre uses the auxiliary verb avoir. Its past participle is irregular: vécu.

Subject Form Translation
:--- :--- :---
J'ai vécu I lived / have lived
Tu as vécu You lived
Il / Elle / On a vécu He / She lived
Nous avons vécu We lived
Vous avez vécu You lived
Ils / Elles ont vécu They lived

Example: Elle a vécu une aventure extraordinaire. (She lived an extraordinary adventure.)

Imparfait (Imperfect)

The imperfect is constructed by taking the 1st person plural present stem (viv-) and appending standard imperfect endings (-ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient).

  • Je vivais (I was living / used to live)
  • Tu vivais
  • Il / Elle / On vivait
  • Nous vivions
  • Vous viviez
  • Ils / Elles vivaient

    • Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect)

  • J'avais vécu (I had lived)
  • Tu avais vécu
  • Il / Elle avait vécu
  • Nous avions vécu
  • Vous aviez vécu
  • Ils / Elles avaient vécu

    • Formed with the imperfect of avoir + vécu:

    3. Future and Conditional Tenses

Both the future and conditional retain the root vivr-.

Futur Simple

  • Je vivrai (I will live)
  • Tu vivras
  • Il / Elle / On vivra
  • Nous vivrons
  • Vous vivrez
  • Ils / Elles vivront

    • Conditionnel Présent

  • Je vivrais (I would live)
  • Tu vivrais
  • Il / Elle / On vivrait
  • Nous vivrions
  • Vous vivriez
  • Ils / Elles vivraient

    • 4. Subjunctive Present (Subjonctif)

The subjunctive of vivre is built on the root viv- for all subject pronouns:

  • Que je vive (That I live)
  • Que tu vives
  • Qu'il / elle / on vive
  • Que nous vivions
  • Que vous viviez
  • Qu'ils / elles vivent

Example: Bien qu'il vive à l'étranger, il téléphone souvent. (Although he lives abroad, he calls often.)

5. Imperative and Participles

  • Impératif (Imperative):
  • (Tu) Vis (Live!)
  • (Nous) Vivons (Let's live!)
  • (Vous) Vivez (Live!)
  • Participe présent: Vivant (Living)
  • Participe passé: Vécu (Lived)

    • 6. Vivre vs. Habiter: When to Use Which?

A frequent source of confusion for English speakers is choosing between vivre and habiter:

1. Habiter strictly refers to housing, specific physical addresses, or tenancy (J'habite dans un appartement, J'habite 12 rue Victor Hugo).

2. Vivre has a broader scope representing life, human experience, lifestyle, or philosophical existence (Vivre en paix, Vivre seul).

When specifying a city, region, or country, both are acceptable: J'habite à Paris and Je vis à Paris are virtually interchangeable.

7. Popular French Idioms with "Vivre"

  • Qui vivra verra: Literally "who lives will see," equivalent to "time will tell."
  • Vivre au jour le jour: To live day-to-day, without long-term plans.
  • Vivre d'amour et d'eau fraîche: To live on love alone (literally "on love and fresh water").
  • Un bon vivant: Someone who enjoys food, drinks, and worldly pleasures.

By focusing on the irregular past participle vécu and the regular stem changes (vi- in the singular present, viv- elsewhere), you will easily integrate vivre into your everyday French conversations.