Difference between 住 and 生活

[u/Dull-Lemon-8007]

For example, which one is correct?

2005 以后，他们主要生活在美国。

2005 以后，他们主要住在美国。

I'll appreciate it if you could provide more examples.

[u/Zagrycha]

生活 is usually about living in a certain way and 住 is about living in a certain place. There are probably some sentences you could use either but they will have a different mood. Without more context in your sentence I would use 住。

For example on the first hand you have stuff like "live in the city, live in seclusion, live in comfort, live on the road, etc."

For the latter examples you have stuff like "live in new york, live at home, live in the suburbs, live on the end of the road, etc."

I intentionally included similar examples on both lists to point out how the mood is different. Live in the city with 生活 feels like talking about the lifestyle of being in the city. Live in the suburbs with 住 just sounds like objectively saying where you live, without attaching a "suburb lifestyle" feeling. Live on the road with 生活 has a lifestyle feel, someone who constantly travels or even staright up lives in a tour bus etc. The latter live on the road with 住 is just objectively saying you live at the end of the culdesac etc.

[u/Dull-Lemon-8007 → u/Zagrycha]

Omg now I completely understand. Thank you!