live-in
/ˈlɪv.ɪn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈlɪv.ɪn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈliv-ˌin/ (ame, mw)
live-in — adjective
1. describes a person who shares a home with a romantic partner without being marri
describes a person who shares a home with a romantic partner without being married to them.
Felipe and his live-in girlfriend have shared a flat in Barcelona for three years.
live-in + girlfriend
Mira introduced her live-in partner to her parents at the family wedding.
After four years as a live-in couple, they finally decided to get married.
The landlord welcomed married tenants but was uneasy about live-in boyfriends coming and going.
Soraya ended her live-in relationship when her partner took a job in another city.
- cohabiting
more formal, often used in legal or statistical contexts
- common-law
refers specifically to a legal status after living together for a certain period
- de facto
formal term used in Australian and some legal English; emphasises the practical reality over legal status
- married
legally joined as spouses
文法句型
live-in + partner/boyfriend/girlfriend/lover
用法筆記
Always used before a noun. Describes the person or the relationship itself, not the living arrangement in general.
常見錯誤
2. describes an employee, such as a nanny or carer, whose job includes having a roo
describes an employee, such as a nanny or carer, whose job includes having a room and living inside the employer's home.
The Watanabe family hired a live-in nurse to look after their elderly father.
live-in + nurse
As a live-in nanny, Hoa looked after three children and had her own room.
live-in + nanny
Christopher found work as a live-in tutor for a family in Geneva.
The old estate employed a live-in groundskeeper who had served the family for decades.
Being a live-in carer means you are always on call, even late at night.
- non-resident
describes an employee who travels to work and lives elsewhere
文法句型
live-in + nanny/nurse/housekeeper/carer
用法筆記
Always used before a noun naming a job or role. Most common with domestic and care-giving occupations.
live-in — phrasal verb
- live-inbase form
- live-ins3rd person singular
- live-ining-ing form
- live-inedpast simple
1. to stay and sleep at the same location where you are employed or enrolled as a s
to stay and sleep at the same location where you are employed or enrolled as a student.
The au pair lives in with a suburban family and helps with the children.
live in with + [family]
At that boarding school, students live in during the term and go home for holidays.
live in (study context)
Ezra chose to live in at the college hostel rather than find a private flat.
Most of the resort staff live in, so the place never feels empty.
Tara lived in while working as a cook at the small hotel by the lake.
- board
older or more formal; typically used for students ('board at the school')
- reside on site
more formal, used in job advertisements and contracts
- live out
to work or study at a place but live somewhere else
文法句型
live in
用法筆記
Covers both employment and study contexts. Distinguish from verb sense 1: this phrasal verb is broader and includes students living at school, not only workers.
live-in — verb
- live-inpresent simple I / you / we / they
- live-ins3rd person singular
- live-ining-ing form
- live-inedpast simple
1. to make your home inside the building or on the property where you are employed,
to make your home inside the building or on the property where you are employed, especially in a domestic-service role.
The housekeeper lives in a small cottage at the end of the garden.
live in + [place]
Mathieu lives in at the farm where he works, in a room above the stables.
live in at + [workplace]
Domestic staff in large country houses were once expected to live in.
The building's caretaker lives in a flat on the ground floor.
Selim chose to live in rather than spend hours commuting each day.
- reside
more formal; does not carry the employment connotation by itself
- commute
to travel regularly between home and a workplace in different locations
文法句型
live in
用法筆記
Typically used for domestic workers, caretakers, and similar roles where housing is part of the job. Distinguish from the phrasal verb sense: this verb sense focuses narrowly on employment-based residence, not study.