demeurer

Demeurer is a French verb whose core meanings are to remain, to dwell, or to reside. It can also be used in a broader sense to indicate continuation or persistence, as in remaining in a state, condition, or situation. In everyday language it often translates as stay, reside, or continue to be, depending on the context. Demeurer can describe where someone lives, where something is located, or how a situation endures over time.

Etymology and history: Demeurer comes from Old French demeurer, ultimately from Latin morari meaning to delay or tarry, with the de- prefix contributing to the sense of staying behind or remaining. Over centuries, the verb acquired its two principal senses—physical residence and figurative continuation—that persist in modern French.

Conjugation and usage: Demeurer is a regular -er verb and follows the standard endings of that class. In the present tense: je demeure, tu demeures, il demeure, nous demeurons, vous demeurez, ils demeurent. In compound tenses, the verb is typically conjugated with être when indicating a state or location, for example: il est demeuré, elle est demeurée. Demeurer is commonly used in formal or literary registers, though it remains common in everyday speech in certain phrases. It frequently appears with spatial prepositions such as à, chez, or dans to indicate location, as well as with en or de to refer to ongoing states or conditions.

Noun and related terms: The noun demeurre or demeure refers to a dwelling or residence, as in “la demeure familiale.” Related verbs include rester, habiter, and résider, which may be preferred in more casual contexts.

See also: résider, rester, habiter, demeure (noun).