How to distinguish 'live' and 'leave'?

When I travelled in Europe, I was going to go to Germany from France.
At that time a police of German German policeman asked for me to show my passport and asked me "Are you living in France?" I understood “Are you leaving France?” I said “Yes”, and then he tilted his head and asked me again “Are sure living in France?”
I felt what was wrong in my bones and my friend explained “She is travelling in Europe” And then he said, “You are not living in France. I didn’t understand that meaning until that time.
After he passed us, I asked my friend “What’s wrong with it?” he asked me “Are you leaving France?” I said “Yes”
She said “he asked you “Are you living in France?””
In that case how to distinguish live and leave??

I would agree with Ian, as I beleive it was probably the German policeman's accent that made it hard to distiguish live and leave.