Let’s be honest, sometimes English can be confusing. Sometimes when learning English it is easy to mix up words or be unsure when to use them.
I often hear German speakers who are learning English make mistakes with the words ‘live’ and ‘stay’.
Take a look at the examples below. Hopefully they will make things clearer for you.
To live is a verb and it is used to describe the permanent place / city / country where someone is a resident.
E.g. Where do you live? = What is your address? / Where is your permanent residence?
Before moving to Germany I lived in England.
They used to live in the countryside but they moved to the city several years ago.
To stay is a verb and it is used in these examples to describe a place where someone is temporarily.
E.g. On our last holiday we stayed in a five-star hotel.
When I first moved to Berlin I stayed with some friends before I found my own flat.
Where did you stay while you were at the conference in London?
Have fun learning English!
Louise