住む

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 住む(すむ) means living in a place as one's residence.
• Basic usage: It is used to say which town or area someone lives in.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• に for the place of residence
  • 町に住む uses に for where someone lives. Distinguish it from で marking where an activity takes place, as in 町で働く.
• The state expressed by 住んでいる
  • 住む forms 住んで, and 住んでいる describes residing somewhere. 住んでいた describes a past state of residence, such as the period before graduation in the example.