This page in your language
فارسی العربية Deutsch Español Français 日本語 한국어 Português 中文 हिन्दी
A1 verb #2,500 most common 8 min read

survivre

At the A1 level, 'survivre' is introduced as a basic verb related to 'vivre' (to live). Students learn it in the context of simple survival—staying alive. The focus is on the present tense and the idea of 'not dying'. Examples are kept very simple, often related to animals or basic human needs. The goal is to recognize the word and understand its core meaning of 'continuing to live'.
At A2, learners begin to see 'survivre' used with the preposition 'à'. They learn to describe surviving simple events like a cold winter or a long day. The passé composé 'a survécu' is introduced. Students start to distinguish between 'vivre' (to live) and 'survivre' (to survive/stay alive after something). The vocabulary expands to include 'les survivants' in basic news contexts.
At the B1 level, students use 'survivre' in more abstract and figurative ways. They can discuss surviving a crisis, a breakup, or a difficult professional period. The focus shifts to the nuance of 'survivre à quelqu'un' (to outlive someone). Learners are expected to use the verb correctly with 'à' in most contexts and to understand it in narrative texts like short stories or news articles.
B2 learners explore the sociological and historical dimensions of 'survivre'. They use it to talk about traditions, languages, and cultures persisting through time. They understand the difference between 'survivre' and synonyms like 'subsister' or 'perdurer'. They can use the verb in complex sentences involving the subjunctive or conditional, such as 'Il est crucial que cette espèce survive'.
At C1, the usage becomes highly nuanced. Learners understand the philosophical implications of 'la survie' in literature and art. They can use the rare reflexive form 'se survivre' in literary analysis. They are comfortable with the verb in legal and formal contexts, such as inheritance or corporate longevity. The focus is on precision and the ability to use the word in sophisticated debates.
At the C2 level, mastery is complete. The speaker can use 'survivre' to discuss complex existential themes, intricate historical continuities, and subtle linguistic shifts. They can play with the word's connotations in creative writing and understand its use in high-level academic discourse. They recognize all its idiomatic uses and can distinguish the finest shades of meaning between it and its most obscure synonyms.
Practice it Examples Notes & Tips

survivre in 30 Seconds

  • Survivre means to remain alive after a dangerous event or to outlive someone.
  • It is an irregular verb conjugated like 'vivre' with the past participle 'survécu'.
  • Crucially, it usually requires the preposition 'à' before an object (survivre à).
  • It can be used literally (accidents) or figuratively (traditions, ideas).

The French verb survivre is a powerful, multifaceted term that fundamentally describes the act of continuing to live or exist after a specific event, person, or period. At its most literal level, it pertains to biological survival in the face of danger, such as a natural disaster or a life-threatening illness. However, its semantic range extends far beyond the physical realm, encompassing the persistence of ideas, traditions, and memories through time. To understand survivre, one must grasp its dual nature: it is both a struggle against extinction and a testament to resilience.

Literal Survival
The state of remaining alive after a catastrophe or accident. It often implies a narrow escape from death.
Figurative Persistence
The continuation of an abstract concept, like a legacy or a custom, long after its originators are gone.
Social/Economic Survival
Managing to get by with minimal resources or in a hostile environment.

"Il a réussi à survivre à l'accident malgré la gravité de ses blessures."

— Example of physical survival

In a broader context, survivre is used to describe how someone copes with the loss of a loved one. In French, you don't just 'survive' a person; you survivre à someone. This prepositional requirement is a key grammatical feature. It suggests a temporal overlap where one person's life extends beyond another's. Furthermore, the word is frequently used in historical discussions regarding civilizations or languages that have managed to persist despite colonization or cultural shifts.

"Cette tradition a su survivre au passage du temps et à la modernisation."

The word also carries a connotation of endurance. It is not merely about existing, but about overcoming obstacles. When we say a business 'survives' a crisis, we imply a struggle and a successful navigation of difficulty. In philosophical terms, survivre can refer to the 'afterlife' of an artwork or a book—how it continues to speak to new generations. This 'survie' (the noun form) is central to French literary theory, particularly in the works of thinkers like Walter Benjamin or Jacques Derrida, who discussed the 'afterlife' of texts.

"Comment survivre avec un si petit salaire dans une ville aussi chère ?"

Grammar Note
Survivre is an irregular verb, following the conjugation pattern of 'vivre'.
Etymology
From Latin 'supervivere', where 'super' means 'over/beyond' and 'vivere' means 'to live'.

"L'espoir est la dernière chose qui survit en nous."

Using survivre correctly in French requires attention to its grammatical structure, specifically its relationship with prepositions. Unlike many English verbs that take a direct object, survivre is predominantly intransitive or takes an indirect object introduced by à. This is the most common pitfall for English speakers. You do not 'survive the war' (survivre la guerre); you 'survive to the war' (survivre à la guerre).

The Indirect Object Rule
Always use 'à' when specifying what or whom you are surviving. Example: Survivre à son conjoint (To outlive one's spouse).
Intransitive Use
It can be used alone to mean 'to stay alive'. Example: Ils ont tout perdu, mais ils ont survécu.

"Elle a dû apprendre à survivre seule après le départ de ses enfants."

When conjugating survivre, remember it follows the pattern of vivre. The past participle is survécu. In the present tense, it is: je survis, tu survis, il survit, nous survivons, vous survivez, ils survivent. This verb is frequently used in the passé composé to describe the outcome of a past event. For example, "Nous avons survécu à la tempête" (We survived the storm).

In professional contexts, survivre can describe a company's ability to stay afloat during an economic downturn. "L'entreprise ne pourra pas survivre à une telle perte." Here, the preposition à is crucial. In casual conversation, it's often used hyperbolically: "Je ne vais pas survivre à cette journée de travail !" (I'm not going to survive this workday!).

"Peu de manuscrits ont survécu à l'incendie de la bibliothèque."

Prepositional Nuance
When followed by a person, it often means 'to outlive'. Example: Il a survécu à tous ses amis.
Abstract Usage
Used for ideas: 'L'idée survit à son créateur'.

You will encounter survivre in a variety of settings, ranging from high-stakes news reports to everyday emotional conversations. In the news, it is a staple for reporting on natural disasters, accidents, or wars. Journalists often use the noun form les survivants (the survivors) alongside the verb to detail the aftermath of a tragedy. For instance, "Trois personnes ont survécu au crash d'avion" is a typical headline.

"Le Premier ministre a déclaré que l'économie survivrait à cette crise mondiale."

In literature and cinema, survivre is a central theme. From dystopian novels like 'Ravage' by René Barjavel to survivalist films, the verb is used to explore human resilience. It often appears in titles and promotional materials for movies involving survival in the wilderness or post-apocalyptic scenarios. In these contexts, the word carries a heavy, dramatic weight, emphasizing the struggle for life against all odds.

In academic and historical circles, the verb is used to discuss the persistence of cultures and languages. A historian might talk about how certain pagan rituals ont survécu within Christian traditions. In biology, it describes the survival of species (la survie des espèces). In these formal settings, the word is used with precision to denote continuity despite environmental or social pressures.

"Certaines espèces animales ne peuvent pas survivre dans ce climat aride."

Daily Life
Used for small inconveniences: 'J'ai survécu à mon examen de maths !'
Legal Context
Used in inheritance law regarding 'le conjoint survivant' (the surviving spouse).

The most frequent mistake learners make with survivre is treating it like a direct transitive verb, influenced by the English 'to survive'. In English, we say "He survived the accident." In French, you must include the preposition à: "Il a survécu à l'accident." Omitting this 'à' is a hallmark of an intermediate learner and can make the sentence sound incomplete or grammatically incorrect to a native speaker.

"Faux: Il a survécu l'hiver.
Vrai: Il a survécu à l'hiver."

Another common error involves the conjugation of the past participle. Because survivre ends in '-ivre', some learners mistakenly try to conjugate it like '-ir' or '-re' verbs. The correct past participle is survécu. Do not say 'survivi' or 'survivu'. Additionally, when using the verb in the passé composé, it always takes the auxiliary verb avoir, never être, even though it describes a change of state or staying in a state.

Confusion between survivre and subsister is also common. While they are synonyms, subsister is more formal and often refers to things (like a law or a doubt) rather than people. Using survivre for a person is always correct, but using it for a tiny remnant of food might be less natural than using rester or subsister.

Mistake 1: Missing 'à'
Always 'survivre à quelque chose'.
Mistake 2: Wrong Auxiliary
Use 'avoir': 'J'ai survécu' (not 'Je suis survécu').
Mistake 3: Conjugation
Remember the 'v': nous survivons (not nous suivons).

While survivre is the most versatile term for staying alive or persisting, several other French verbs offer nuanced alternatives depending on the context. Understanding these can greatly enrich your vocabulary and allow for more precise expression. The most direct synonym is often subsister, which implies continuing to exist, often in a diminished or precarious state.

Subsister
To persist or remain. Often used for doubts, traces, or small amounts. 'Un doute subsiste.'
Persister
To persist, often in an active or stubborn way. 'Le froid persiste.'
Durer
To last. Focuses on the duration of time rather than the struggle to stay alive.

"L'espoir subsiste malgré les difficultés."

Another related verb is s'en sortir, which is a common idiomatic expression meaning 'to pull through' or 'to manage'. While survivre is dramatic, s'en sortir is more colloquial and can be used for surviving a difficult exam or a busy week. For biological contexts, proliférer or se maintenir might be used to describe species that are not just surviving but maintaining their numbers.

In the context of outliving someone, survivre à is the standard. There isn't a single common verb that replaces it in this specific sense, though one might say "Il est resté après elle" in very informal speech, but it lacks the clarity of survivre. For objects that remain after others are gone, rester is the most natural choice.

"Seuls quelques murs ont résisté (survécu) au tremblement de terre."

How Formal Is It?

Formal

""

Informal

""

Pronunciation Guide

Rhymes With
vivre suivre

Difficulty Rating

Grammar to Know

Examples by Level

1

Le petit chat veut survivre.

The little cat wants to survive.

Infinitive after 'veut'.

2

Il faut manger pour survivre.

One must eat to survive.

Pour + infinitive.

3

Les plantes survivent avec de l'eau.

Plants survive with water.

Present tense: ils survivent.

4

Est-ce que tu peux survivre sans téléphone ?

Can you survive without a phone?

Question form.

5

Je survis au froid.

I survive the cold.

Je survis (present).

6

Nous survivons ensemble.

We survive together.

Nous survivons.

7

Le poisson survit dans l'eau.

The fish survives in the water.

Third person singular.

8

Ils ne peuvent pas survivre ici.

They cannot survive here.

Negation with 'ne... pas'.

1

Elle a survécu à l'hiver très froid.

She survived the very cold winter.

Passé composé with 'avoir'.

2

Comment as-tu survécu à cette journée ?

How did you survive this day?

Interrogative passé composé.

3

Les fleurs ont survécu à la tempête.

The flowers survived the storm.

Survivre à + noun.

4

Nous avons survécu sans électricité.

We survived without electricity.

Preposition 'sans'.

5

Il a survécu à son vieil ami.

He outlived his old friend.

Meaning 'to outlive'.

6

Peu de gens survivent à ce désert.

Few people survive this desert.

Quantifier 'peu de'.

7

Le chien a survécu à l'accident.

The dog survived the accident.

Passé composé.

8

Vous survivez grâce à votre courage.

You survive thanks to your courage.

Grâce à (thanks to).

1

L'entreprise a survécu à la crise économique.

The company survived the economic crisis.

Figurative use.

2

Il est difficile de survivre avec un petit salaire.

It is difficult to survive on a small salary.

Survivre avec (to get by with).

3

Cette tradition survit encore dans les villages.

This tradition still survives in the villages.

Present tense, abstract subject.

4

Elle a survécu à son mari pendant dix ans.

She outlived her husband for ten years.

Duration with 'pendant'.

5

Si nous ne faisons rien, l'espèce ne survivra pas.

If we do nothing, the species will not survive.

Future tense 'survivra'.

6

J'espère survivre à cette réunion interminable.

I hope to survive this endless meeting.

Hyperbolic usage.

7

Les souvenirs survivent à la mort.

Memories survive death.

Plural subject.

8

Comment ont-ils survécu dans la jungle ?

How did they survive in the jungle?

Inversion in question.

1

Le vieux manuscrit a survécu aux flammes.

The old manuscript survived the flames.

Plural indirect object 'aux'.

2

Il est rare que de tels idéaux survivent au pouvoir.

It is rare for such ideals to survive power.

Subjunctive 'survivent' after 'il est rare que'.

3

La culture locale survit malgré la mondialisation.

Local culture survives despite globalization.

Preposition 'malgré'.

4

Elle craignait de ne pas survivre à cette épreuve.

She feared she wouldn't survive this ordeal.

Imperfect tense 'craignait'.

5

Certains dialectes survivent dans les zones isolées.

Some dialects survive in isolated areas.

Specific vocabulary 'dialectes'.

6

L'art doit survivre à son créateur pour être éternel.

Art must survive its creator to be eternal.

Modal verb 'doit'.

7

Il a survécu à une tentative d'assassinat.

He survived an assassination attempt.

Complex noun phrase.

8

Nous survivrons à cette période d'incertitude.

We will survive this period of uncertainty.

Future tense.

1

L'œuvre de Proust survit à travers les siècles.

Proust's work survives through the centuries.

Prepositional phrase 'à travers'.

2

Le droit de l'usufruitier survivant est complexe.

The right of the surviving usufructuary is complex.

Present participle as adjective.

3

Elle s'est efforcée de faire survivre l'entreprise familiale.

She strove to keep the family business alive.

Causative-like construction 'faire survivre'.

4

Peu de structures sociales survivraient à un tel choc.

Few social structures would survive such a shock.

Conditional mood 'survivraient'.

5

L'idée de liberté survit même dans l'oppression.

The idea of liberty survives even in oppression.

Abstract philosophical use.

6

Il s'agit de survivre à l'oubli, ce qui est le plus dur.

It is a matter of surviving oblivion, which is the hardest part.

Infinitive as subject.

7

Le poète se survit dans ses vers les plus célèbres.

The poet lives on in his most famous verses.

Reflexive 'se survivre'.

8

La langue latine survit dans les langues romanes.

The Latin language survives in Romance languages.

Historical/Linguistic context.

1

L'atavisme permet à certains traits de survivre aux générations.

Atavism allows certain traits to survive through generations.

Scientific terminology.

2

L'institution a su survivre aux vicissitudes de l'histoire.

The institution managed to survive the vicissitudes of history.

High-level vocabulary 'vicissitudes'.

3

Il est paradoxal qu'un tel régime ait survécu si longtemps.

It is paradoxical that such a regime survived so long.

Past subjunctive 'ait survécu'.

4

La pensée de Nietzsche survit à toutes les interprétations.

Nietzsche's thought survives all interpretations.

Philosophical nuance.

5

Comment l'âme pourrait-elle survivre à la dissolution du corps ?

How could the soul survive the dissolution of the body?

Metaphysical inquiry.

6

L'esthétique baroque survit dans le kitsch contemporain.

Baroque aesthetics survive in contemporary kitsch.

Art history context.

7

Elle a survécu à l'infamie par sa seule dignité.

She survived infamy through her dignity alone.

Abstract moral context.

8

Le texte survit à sa propre déconstruction.

The text survives its own deconstruction.

Literary theory context.

Common Collocations

survivre à un accident
survivre à une crise
survivre à son conjoint
survivre à l'hiver
survivre par miracle
difficile de survivre
survivre à tout prix
faire survivre une idée
survivre au naufrage
survivre à la guerre

Common Phrases

Survivre à l'impossible

L'instinct de survivre

Survivre au jour le jour

Comment survivre à...

Seuls les plus forts survivent

Survivre à ses blessures

Survivre à la solitude

Faire survivre le passé

Survivre à une rupture

Survivre à l'ennui

Often Confused With

survivre vs vivre

survivre vs suivre

survivre vs subsister

Idioms & Expressions

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

Easily Confused

survivre vs suivre

survivre vs vivre

survivre vs subvenir

Sentence Patterns

How to Use It

auxiliary

Always use 'avoir'.

preposition

Always use 'à' for an object.

Common Mistakes
  • Using 'être' instead of 'avoir' in passé composé.
  • Omitting the preposition 'à'.
  • Confusing 'survivre' with 'suivre' (to follow).
  • Incorrect past participle (e.g., 'survivi').
  • Using it transitively like in English.

Tips

The 'à' Rule

Always remember 'survivre à'. It's the most common mistake.

Vivre vs Survivre

Vivre is to live; survivre is to live *after* something.

The 'U' sound

Keep your lips rounded for the 'u' in 'sur'.

Hyperbole

Use it to complain about a long day: 'Je ne vais pas survivre !'

Formal Writing

Use 'subsister' for abstract things to sound more formal.

Koh-Lanta

Watch this show to hear 'survivre' in a competitive context.

Prefix 'Sur'

Sur means 'above' or 'over'. You live over the event.

Verb endings

Listen for the 'v' to distinguish from 'suivre' (to follow).

Past Tense

Practice 'J'ai survécu' until it feels natural.

Legacy

Use it when discussing the influence of historical figures.

Memorize It

Word Origin

Latin 'supervivere'

Cultural Context

Koh-Lanta is the French 'Survivor'.

Survival stories from the World Wars are common in French literature.

Practice in Real Life

Real-World Contexts

Conversation Starters

"Comment as-tu survécu à ton premier jour de travail ?"

"Penses-tu que les livres vont survivre à Internet ?"

"Quelle est la chose la plus difficile à laquelle tu as survécu ?"

"Comment les animaux survivent-ils en hiver ?"

"Est-ce que l'amour peut survivre à tout ?"

Journal Prompts

Décrivez un moment où vous avez dû survivre à une situation difficile.

Quelles traditions familiales voulez-vous faire survivre ?

Imaginez que vous deviez survivre sur une île déserte.

Comment une amitié peut-elle survivre au temps ?

Écrivez sur une espèce animale qui survit dans des conditions extrêmes.

Frequently Asked Questions

10 questions

No, it is 'survivre à l'accident'. The preposition 'à' is mandatory.

The past participle is 'survécu'.

It always uses 'avoir' in compound tenses.

Yes, 'survivre à quelqu'un' means to outlive them.

No, it is irregular, following the pattern of 'vivre'.

The noun is 'la survie' (survival).

A male survivor is 'un survivant', female is 'une survivante'.

Yes, businesses can 'survivre à une crise'.

No, it is very formal and literary.

Basic meanings are A1, but correct prepositional use is A2/B1.

Test Yourself 180 questions

/ 180 correct

Perfect score!

Related Content

Was this helpful?

Comments (0)

Login to Comment
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!