residir
verbCEFR B2
What does “residir” mean in English?
to reside; to lie in
to reside; to lie in (residir en + place — formal dwelling; figurative: el problema reside en — the problem lies in)
Example sentences
La clave del éxito de la iniciativa reside en la colaboración efectiva entre los sectores.
The key to the success of the initiative lies in effective collaboration between sectors.
Miles de trabajadores extranjeros residen legalmente en el país gracias al programa de regularización.
Thousands of foreign workers reside legally in the country thanks to the regularisation programme.
How to use it
Residir has two B2 senses: (1) to reside/live (residir en + place — formal register for habitual dwelling); (2) to lie/consist in (el problema reside en — the problem lies in). Sense 2 is very productive in formal analytical discourse.
Common mistake
Residir en (live/reside — more formal than vivir) and residir en (lie in/consist in — figurative). The figurative sense is very useful in B2 academic writing: 'el problema reside en que...'.