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Ivan
What difference is between verbs 'to live' and 'to dwell'?
Hi everyone!
Are verbs 'to live' and 'to dwell' interchangeable? And if not, what difference is between them?
Aug 5, 2020 10:12 AM
Answers · 4
Both the verb 'to live' and 'to dwell' can be used in the context of living/dwelling in a house.
However, 'to dwell' is older English and would not be used often these days in that context.
Both verbs have broader meanings and that is where they differentiate.
'To live' is both where you live (i.e. I live in Rome, I live at home, I live with my parents) as well as the act of being alive (i.e. I want to live a good life).
'To dwell' is similar to the verb 'to linger'. It means to stay on something in a (usually negative) context and is often only used in a modern context in relation to thoughts. For example, 'don't dwell on bad thoughts'. Most often you will hear it used in the phrase 'don't dwell on it', which essentially means don't think about it.
August 5, 2020
Thank you!
August 5, 2020
I'm going to assume you mean "live" in the sense of "are based in a particular building".
Not really, although it looks that way. "Dwell" as in "live somewhere" is nearly archaic: you'll see it in old books, but not in much recent writing, and you won't hear it much. To "dwell on" something, now, is to think too much about it, to spend too much time considering it.
You "live" somewhere doesn't have a lot of good alternatives. "I've got a place on the East side", or "I have a home down by the river" are possible. "I'm staying in Moscow for a while", "I'm crashing at my friend's place until I can find a flat". "Reside" is super-formal, and I'd advise against until you feel comfortable with it. You could say "I'm hanging out at", but that could also just mean that you go there a lot, not that you live there.
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/dwell
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dwell
August 5, 2020
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Ivan
Language Skills
English, German, Russian
Learning Language
English, German
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