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9.3. Parler de son logement

Talking About One’s Residence

9.3.1. The Main Idea

To talk about where someone lives, French often uses habiter, meaning to live.

J’habite dans une maison.	I live in a house.
J’habite dans un appartement.	I live in an apartment.
J’habite à Calgary.	I live in Calgary.
J’habite avec ma famille.	I live with my family.

You can describe your residence by saying what kind of home it is, where it is, who you live with, and what it is like.

9.3.2. Types of Residences

une maison	a house
un appartement	an apartment
un studio	a studio apartment
une résidence universitaire	a university residence
une chambre	a room / bedroom
une maison de ville	a townhouse
un condo	a condo
un logement	housing / accommodation
un immeuble	an apartment building

9.3.3. Where You Live

J’habite à Calgary.	I live in Calgary.
J’habite en Alberta.	I live in Alberta.
J’habite au Canada.	I live in Canada.
J’habite dans une maison.	I live in a house.
J’habite dans un appartement.	I live in an apartment.
J’habite dans une résidence universitaire.	I live in a university residence.

Use à with a city.

Use en, au, or aux with countries, provinces, and regions.

Use dans with a type of residence.

9.3.4. Who You Live With

J’habite seul.	I live alone. masculine speaker
J’habite seule.	I live alone. feminine speaker
J’habite avec ma famille.	I live with my family.
J’habite avec mes parents.	I live with my parents.
J’habite avec un colocataire.	I live with a roommate. masculine
J’habite avec une colocataire.	I live with a roommate. feminine
J’habite avec des colocataires.	I live with roommates.

9.3.5. Describing Your Residence

Ma maison est grande.	My house is big.
Mon appartement est petit.	My apartment is small.
Mon logement est confortable.	My place is comfortable.
Ma chambre est calme.	My room is quiet.
L’immeuble est moderne.	The building is modern.
Le quartier est tranquille.	The neighbourhood is peaceful.

9.3.6. Talking About Your Childhood Home

Ma maison d’enfance était petite.	My childhood home was small.
Ma maison d’enfance était confortable.	My childhood home was comfortable.
J’habitais dans une maison.	I lived in a house.
J’habitais dans un appartement.	I lived in an apartment.
J’habitais avec ma famille.	I lived with my family.
Mon quartier était calme.	My neighbourhood was quiet.

Use the imparfait to describe where you used to live or what your residence was like in the past.

9.3.7. Habiter in the Present and Imparfait

j’habite	I live / I am living
tu habites	you live / you are living
il habite	he lives / he is living
elle habite	she lives / she is living
nous habitons	we live / we are living
vous habitez	you live / you are living
ils habitent	they live / they are living
elles habitent	they live / they are living

j’habitais	I lived / I used to live
tu habitais	you lived / you used to live
il habitait	he lived / he used to live
elle habitait	she lived / she used to live
nous habitions	we lived / we used to live
vous habitiez	you lived / you used to live
ils habitaient	they lived / they used to live
elles habitaient	they lived / they used to live

9.3.8. Asking About Someone’s Residence

Tu habites où ?	Where do you live?
Vous habitez où ?	Where do you live? formal or plural
Tu habites dans une maison ou dans un appartement ?	Do you live in a house or in an apartment?
Tu habites avec qui ?	Who do you live with?
Ton logement est comment ?	What is your place like?
Ta maison d’enfance était comment ?	What was your childhood home like?

9.3.9. Core Patterns

J’habite à + city.	I live in + city.
J’habite dans + residence type.	I live in + residence type.
J’habite avec + person.	I live with + person.
J’habite seul / seule.	I live alone.
J’habitais dans + residence type.	I used to live in + residence type.
Ma maison était ___ .	My house was ___ .

9.3.10. Practice

I live in Calgary. |

I live in an apartment. |

I live in a house. |

I live with my family. |

I live alone. masculine speaker |

My apartment is small. |

My room is quiet. |

I used to live in a house. |

My childhood home was comfortable. |

Who do you live with? |

9.3.11. Answers

I live in Calgary.	J’habite à Calgary.
I live in an apartment.	J’habite dans un appartement.
I live in a house.	J’habite dans une maison.
I live with my family.	J’habite avec ma famille.
I live alone. masculine speaker	J’habite seul.
My apartment is small.	Mon appartement est petit.
My room is quiet.	Ma chambre est calme.
I used to live in a house.	J’habitais dans une maison.
My childhood home was comfortable.	Ma maison d’enfance était confortable.
Who do you live with?	Tu habites avec qui ?

9.3.12. Short Dialogue

A : Tu habites où ?	A: Where do you live?
B : J’habite à Calgary, dans un appartement. Et toi ?	B: I live in Calgary, in an apartment. And you?
A : J’habite avec ma famille dans une maison.	A: I live with my family in a house.
B : Ton quartier est comment ?	B: What is your neighbourhood like?
A : Il est calme et pratique.	A: It is quiet and convenient.

9.3.13. Checkpoint

By the end of this lesson, you should be able to talk about where you live, describe your residence, say who you live with, ask someone about their living situation, and use the imparfait to talk about where you used to live or what your childhood home was like.

9.3.14. Try It Out

Try saying this in French:

Where do you live?

I live in an apartment.

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Possible answer:

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