j'habitais
In French, the phrase "I used to live" is said as j'habitais.
This phrase describes a place where someone resided in the past but no longer lives.
What does it mean word for word?
j'habitais is a contraction of je, meaning "I" and habitais, meaning "used to live" or "was living".
Which one should you use?
j'habitais uses the imperfect tense to describe a continuous state or habit in the past. In contrast, if you want to describe a completed period of residence that had a specific beginning and end, you would use j'ai habité.
How does it change in a sentence?
It is used to express habitual or continuous actions in the past, such as "I lived" or "I used to live".
Did you know?
- In French, you do not need to say 'in' or 'at' after j'habitais. You can simply say j'habitais Paris instead of 'I lived in Paris'.
- While habiter describes where you reside, the closely related word habitué describes someone who is a 'regular' at a café or bar.
- The word habiter comes from the Latin habitare, which shares a root with the English word 'habit'. In both languages, the words describe a way of being or a place where one stays.
Examples in context
- J'habitais près d'un parc.I used to live near a park.This sentence is useful for mentioning a location relative to a landmark using j'habitais.Tatoeba #5391438 by Aiji, translation #2544391 by CK
- C'est la maison où j'habitais quand j'étais jeune.This is the house where I used to live when I was young.This sentence is useful for connecting a past residence to a specific period of life using j'habitais.Tatoeba #336133 by sysko, translation #45565 by CK
- J'habitais à Boston.I used to live in Boston.This sentence is useful for stating a past place of residence using j'habitais.Tatoeba #7128325 by Micsmithel, translation #2952540 by CK
- J'habitais auparavant au Canada.I used to live in Canada.
- Je résidais là autrefois, près de la mer Méditerranée.I used to live there, near the Mediterranean Sea.
Example conversation
Nathan and Léa are talking about their childhood homes.
- NathanJ'habitais dans un petit village.I used to live in a small village.
- LéaC'était comment, ce village ?What was that village like?
- NathanC'était très calme et joli.It was very quiet and pretty.
- LéaMoi, j'ai toujours vécu en ville.As for me, I have always lived in the city.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
