Ever wondered what the difference is between ‘staying’ and ‘living’?

A problem that students often face are the use of the words, live and stay. Most of the time, people ask someone, “Where do you stay?” or “Where are you staying?”, especially if they are enquiring about the home of someone. This is wrong.

The word stay means, to remain or be somewhere temporarily, especially as a visitor or a guest. The word live should be used as it means to remain or be somewhere permanently, like one’s home.

1. I stay in Kuantan. I bought a house there. (x)
2. When I visit Singapore, I live with my uncle. (x)
3. I live in Kuantan. I bought a house there. (a)
4. When I visit Singapore, I stay with my uncle. (a)

The word stay in sentence No. 1 is wrongly used. The word live should be used, like in sentence No.3, as it refers to a permanent place or home.

Similarly, the word live in sentence 2 is also wrongly used. The word stay should be used, like in sentence 4, as it refers to a temporary place.

So next time if you wish to ask someone about their home, you should ask, “Where do you live? or “Where are you living?”.

Let’s say, if your friend lives in Kuantan, and you meet your friend in Penang, you should ask, “Where do you stay in Penang?” or “Where are you staying in Penang?”.