habitar
/abiˈtaɾ/
To dwell in Spanish is habitar. Wiktionary also lists morar.
Meaning: live, reside (verb)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| habitar | /abiˈtaɾ/ |
| morar | /moˈɾaɾ/ |
Both habitar and morar mean to dwell or reside.
Which one should you use?
While 'habitar' and 'morar' mean to dwell or inhabit, 'vivir' is the much more common, everyday verb used to say 'to live' in a place.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Habitar is a formal way to say 'dwell' and often carries a sense of occupying a space or a territory. Morar is a highly literary or poetic term and is rarely used in modern spoken Spanish.
How does it change in a sentence?
The third-person singular present indicative of habitar is habita (he/she dwells). To describe a continuous state of dwelling in the past, use the imperfect indicative form habitaba (used to dwell / was dwelling).
How do you pronounce it?
/abiˈtaɾ/
Did you know?
- The Spanish word habitar is a cognate of the English word 'habit'. Both come from a Latin root meaning 'to clothe' or 'to dress', as dwelling in a place was once likened to being clothed in it.
- In Spanish poetry, morar is often used to describe much more abstract or spiritual 'dwellings', such as a soul dwelling within a body or a feeling dwelling in a heart.
- In legal Spanish, habitar is used to distinguish between simply owning a property and actually dwelling in it as a primary residence.
Examples in context
- Ella habita en una casa antiguaShe dwells in an old house
- El profesor reside en el centro de la ciudadThe professor dwells in the city center
- Ellos viven en una hermosa villaThey dwell in a beautiful villa
- El espíritu busca un lugar para habitar.The spirit seeks a place to dwell.
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are discussing a historic building.
- Lucía¿Quién solía habitar en este viejo castillo?Who used to dwell in this old castle?
- MateoUna familia noble vivía aquí hace siglos.A noble family lived here centuries ago.
- LucíaParece un lugar muy tranquilo para habitar.It seems like a very quiet place to reside.
- MateoSí, pero ahora está muy frío, Lucía.Yes, but now it is very cold, Lucía.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dwell” translations and entries habitar, morar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries habitar, morar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
