The irregular verbs recevoir (to receive) and vivre (to live) are frequently used to talk about major life milestones and achievements.
The verb recevoir (to receive)
Notice how recevoir uses a cédille (ç) before the letter o (as in je reçois) to keep the soft "s" pronunciation, but drops it before the letter e (as in vous recevez).
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| je | je reçois |
| tu | tu reçois |
| il / elle / on | il reçoit |
| nous | nous recevons |
| vous | vous recevez |
| ils / elles | ils reçoivent |
| I am receiving my diploma today. | Je reçois mon diplôme aujourd'hui. |
| You receive a French certificate. | Vous recevez un certificat de français. |
| She receives a beautiful medal. | Elle reçoit une belle médaille. |
The verb vivre (to live / to experience)
The verb vivre is completely irregular. Beyond "to live," it is commonly used to mean "to experience" an event.
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| je | je vis |
| tu | tu vis |
| il / elle / on | il vit |
| nous | nous vivons |
| vous | vous vivez |
| ils / elles | ils vivent |
| The students live in France. | Les étudiants vivent en France. |
| You are experiencing an important event. | Tu vis un événement important. |
Milestones and awards
Life is full of major milestones like une naissance (a birth) or un mariage (a wedding). When celebrating achievements, you might receive une récompense (a reward or award), une bourse (a scholarship or grant), or un trophée (a trophy).
| We are experiencing a happy marriage. | Nous vivons un mariage heureux. |
| The student receives a scholarship to study. | L'étudiant reçoit une bourse pour étudier. |
| The boy receives a beautiful trophy. | Le garçon reçoit un beau trophée. |
Ceremonies and congratulations
To formally celebrate these events, you might attend une cérémonie (a ceremony). When someone achieves something great, you can use the regular -er verb féliciter (to congratulate).
| He receives a trophy at the ceremony and I congratulate him. | Il reçoit un trophée à la cérémonie et je le félicite. |
| I congratulate my team because we are experiencing a wonderful event. | Je félicite mon équipe parce que nous vivons un événement formidable. |
