habite

Habite is the third-person singular present indicative form of the French verb habiter, meaning to live in or to inhabit. It is used to describe where someone resides or the act of inhabiting a place. For example, “Il habite à Paris” means he lives in Paris.

Etymology and usage: Habiter derives from the Latin habitare, related to habitation and habitat. The term appears in everyday French to express residence, occupancy, or habitual dwelling. While habit is the English cognate, habite itself appears predominantly in French and is not used as a standalone noun in standard usage.

Conjugation and forms: In the present indicative, the full conjugation is je habite, tu habites, il/elle habite, nous habitons, vous habitez, ils/elles habitent. The spelling often elides the initial vowel when the subject is “je,” producing j’habite. Beyond the present tense, related forms include habitais, habitais, habitait (imperfect), habiterai (future), and other tenses built on the same verb root.

Examples and regional usage: Common constructions include habiter à une ville (to live in a city), habiter en pays (to live in a country, typically with en for feminine or vowel-starting names), or habiter dans une maison (to live in a house). The verb commonly pairs with prepositions such as à, en, or dans, depending on the destination or location. In conversation, habiter conveys both residence and temporary occupancy in context.

See also: habiter, habitation, habitat, inhabited.