Home in Different Languages
Discover 'Home' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word home holds a profound significance in our lives, representing a place of warmth, comfort, and security. It is where we build memories, form connections, and seek refuge from the world outside. The concept of home transcends physical boundaries, often carrying a deeper cultural and emotional resonance in different societies.
Through the lens of language, the word home takes on fascinating forms across the globe. In Spanish, it becomes hogar, while in French, it is translated as maison. In the German language, home is referred to as Heim, and in Japanese, it is いえ (ie).
Delving into the translations of home in different languages not only enriches our vocabulary but also offers a glimpse into the unique cultural perspectives of various societies. It is a journey that connects us, reminding us of our shared human experiences and the universal desire to find a place we can call our own.
Home
Home in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | huis toe | ||
| The phrase "huis toe" can also mean "to the house" as an adverbial phrase indicating direction or destination. | |||
| Amharic | ቤት | ||
| "Bet" is the word for "home" in Ethiopia, but it also means "house" or "dwelling place" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | gida | ||
| In Hausa, the word "gida" also connotes a sense of familiarity, comfort, and kinship among family members. | |||
| Igbo | ulo | ||
| "Ulo" is an Igbo word meaning "home," but also refers to several Igbo subgroups. | |||
| Malagasy | an-trano | ||
| 'Trano' is cognate with 'trano' in Indonesian and Malay and 'taran' in Iban and is reconstructed to Proto-Austronesian *daŋaŋ, meaning 'house, dwelling' | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kunyumba | ||
| In Malawi, 'kunyumba' also denotes a small gathering of people in a place of residence, such as a prayer group. | |||
| Shona | kumba | ||
| 'Kumba' is a Bantu root meaning 'enclosure' or 'dwelling'. | |||
| Somali | guriga | ||
| "Guriga" is a noun that means "home" in Somali. The word is derived from the verb "gur," which means "to remain" or "to dwell." Other related words include "guri" and "gurigi," which both mean "room," and "guri-gaar," which means "one's own house." | |||
| Sesotho | hae | ||
| In Lesotho, "hae" also means "the place where one is raised." | |||
| Swahili | nyumbani | ||
| The Swahili word "nyumbani" can also refer to a spouse or family, highlighting the importance of home as both a physical and social space. | |||
| Xhosa | ekhaya | ||
| In Xhosa, "ekhaya" signifies not just a physical residence, but also a profound emotional bond to a place and community. | |||
| Yoruba | ile | ||
| The word "ile" in Yoruba can also refer to a "place of origin" or a "dwelling place of a spirit or deity." | |||
| Zulu | ekhaya | ||
| The word "ekhaya" can also refer to one's place of birth, childhood home, or ancestral home. | |||
| Bambara | so | ||
| Ewe | aƒeme | ||
| Kinyarwanda | urugo | ||
| Lingala | ndako | ||
| Luganda | ewaka | ||
| Sepedi | gae | ||
| Twi (Akan) | fie | ||
Home in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الصفحة الرئيسية | ||
| In modern Arabic, it is also used to refer to the "homepage" of a website. | |||
| Hebrew | בית | ||
| "בית" can also mean "temple" or "house of God" in Hebrew. | |||
| Pashto | کور | ||
| The root word of “کور” (“home”) is believed to have come from Old Persian and Avestan, meaning “mountain, rocky hill”. | |||
| Arabic | الصفحة الرئيسية | ||
| In modern Arabic, it is also used to refer to the "homepage" of a website. | |||
Home in Western European Languages
| Albanian | shtëpia | ||
| The word "shtëpia" in Albanian is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ḱey- or *kay-, meaning "to dwell". It also has the alternate meaning of "family" or "household". | |||
| Basque | etxera | ||
| Basque etxera is derived from the Proto-Basque *e-txe-ra meaning "dwelling" and "fireplace". | |||
| Catalan | a casa | ||
| The phrase "a casa" in Catalan can also mean "to home" or "at home". | |||
| Croatian | dom | ||
| The word 'Dom' also means 'temple' or 'church' in Old Church Slavonic, and has cognates in other Slavic languages such as 'Dom' (home) in Polish and 'Dom' (cathedral) in Russian. | |||
| Danish | hjem | ||
| Hjem is derived from Old Norse 'heimr' meaning 'dwelling' or 'clan', and also relates to the Sanskrit word 'kṣe-ma' meaning 'dwelling' or 'peace'. | |||
| Dutch | huis | ||
| The word "huis" can also mean "house" or "apartment" in Dutch. | |||
| English | home | ||
| The word 'home' originates from the Old English word 'hām,' meaning 'village' or 'settlement'. | |||
| French | domicile | ||
| The French word "domicile" originates from the Latin word "domus", meaning "house" or "home", and shares its root with the English word "domestic". | |||
| Frisian | thús | ||
| The word "thús" in Frisian can also refer to a farm or homestead. | |||
| Galician | casa | ||
| The word casa in Galician is derived from the Latin word 'casa' meaning both house and a type of nobleman's country house, from the root 'cas' meaning a hut. | |||
| German | zuhause | ||
| The word 'Zuhause' is derived from Middle High German 'ze hûse', meaning 'at the house', and can also refer to one's home region or country. | |||
| Icelandic | heim | ||
| The Old Norse word "heimr" is related to the Old English word "hām", from which the word "home" is derived in modern English | |||
| Irish | bhaile | ||
| While "bhaile" means "home" now, it originally meant "town". | |||
| Italian | casa | ||
| Etymology of 'casa': Latin 'casa' (hut, cottage), possibly from the root of 'cogere' (to gather). Alternate meanings: 'family', 'business', 'noble house' | |||
| Luxembourgish | doheem | ||
| In old Luxembourgish, the word 'doheem' also meant 'hearth' or 'fireplace', indicating its central importance in the home. | |||
| Maltese | id-dar | ||
| "Dar" also means "age" in Maltese if preceded by the definite article "l-", and can have a collective meaning of "folk" when suffixed with "-hom." | |||
| Norwegian | hjem | ||
| The Norwegian word "hjem" is cognate with the English "home," but also carries the meaning of "the hearth," emphasizing the role of the home as a center of warmth and comfort. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | casa | ||
| The word "casa" can also refer to a type of traditional Portuguese or Brazilian musical genre. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | dhachaigh | ||
| Dhachaigh is related to the Proto-Indo-European word **domos** meaning “house”. | |||
| Spanish | hogar | ||
| In the past, "hogar" referred to the fire in the home, as it was its center of family life and a sacred space in many traditions. | |||
| Swedish | hem | ||
| The word "hem" in Swedish can also refer to a hem on a garment, a rim or edge, or a boundary. | |||
| Welsh | adref | ||
| Linguists believe "adref" is derived from the Proto-Celtic word "aterebos", meaning "father's place". | |||
Home in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | дадому | ||
| The word "дадому" can also refer to the act of returning or going back to one's home | |||
| Bosnian | dom | ||
| "Dom" can also refer to a place of residence for students, the elderly, or people with disabilities. | |||
| Bulgarian | у дома | ||
| The phrase "у дома" in Bulgarian not only means "at home," but can also refer to one's birthplace or place of residence. | |||
| Czech | domov | ||
| The word "domov" can also mean "shelter" or "asylum" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | kodu | ||
| "Kodu" also means "fatherland" in Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | koti | ||
| Koti, a Finnish word for "home" also relates to the archaic concept of a "domestic fire" or "hearth". | |||
| Hungarian | itthon | ||
| The word "itthon" can also mean "at this place" or "here" in Hungarian, emphasizing the notion of "home" as a specific location. | |||
| Latvian | mājas | ||
| The Latvian word mājas is derived from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning “building” or “settlement”. | |||
| Lithuanian | namai | ||
| "Namai" is a loanword from Proto-Slavic "domъ", meaning "house, home, building". | |||
| Macedonian | дома | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "home," "дома" can also indicate a direction or destination. | |||
| Polish | dom | ||
| In Polish, "Dom" is cognate with Slavic "domŭ", but also can refer to a church, monastery, or other religious building. | |||
| Romanian | acasă | ||
| The word "acasă" is derived from the Latin "casa" (house) and has a similar meaning in Romanian, referring to one's dwelling place. | |||
| Russian | главная | ||
| The word "Главная" can also mean "main" or "principal" in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | кућа | ||
| The Serbian word "кућа" (home) is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*xotьja", meaning "desire" or "dwelling." | |||
| Slovak | domov | ||
| Domov shares its root with Dom, which means house, and is related to Dóm, a cathedral. | |||
| Slovenian | domov | ||
| Its Slavic root also means 'mind' and 'understanding', as our home is often a space of reflection, tranquility, and safety. | |||
| Ukrainian | додому | ||
| The word "додому" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *dom-, meaning "house" or "home". | |||
Home in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বাড়ি | ||
| "বাড়ি" can also refer to a "wife" or a "shop," but both meanings are a bit archaic and are rarely used today. | |||
| Gujarati | ઘર | ||
| The Gujarati word ઘર ('ghar') originates from the Sanskrit word 'griha,' meaning 'house, home, dwelling'. | |||
| Hindi | घर | ||
| The word "घर" (ghar) in Hindi is derived from Sanskrit "grh" meaning "dwelling, house," and is cognate with English "guard," "yard," and "garden." | |||
| Kannada | ಮನೆ | ||
| The word "ಮನೆ" (mane) in Kannada is derived from the Sanskrit word "man" meaning "to think" or "to reflect", suggesting that home is a place where one can find peace and introspection. | |||
| Malayalam | വീട് | ||
| The Malayalam word “വീട്” (“home”) originates from the Sanskrit word “वेष्टि” (“to enclose”) and shares a similar root with other words related to enclosure, such as “വേലി” (“fence”) and “വേഷ്ടി” (“cloth tied around the waist”). | |||
| Marathi | मुख्यपृष्ठ | ||
| मराठी शब्द 'मुख्यपृष्ठ' (मुख्य + पृष्ठ) का शाब्दिक अर्थ 'प्रमुख पृष्ठ' है, जो वेब पेज के प्रारंभिक पृष्ठ को संदर्भित करता है। | |||
| Nepali | घर | ||
| "घर" also means "mountain" in the context of the Himalayas. | |||
| Punjabi | ਘਰ | ||
| In ancient Punjabi, "ghar" also referred to a walled village or fort. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නිවස | ||
| The word "නිවස" ('home' in Sinhala) derives from the Sanskrit word 'nivasa' meaning 'dwelling' and also refers to 'a room, house, residence, abode, seat, nest, lair, or den' | |||
| Tamil | வீடு | ||
| 'வீடு' means 'home' in Tamil, but its root word 'இடு' ('to place') gives it the alternate meaning of 'a place or container for something'. | |||
| Telugu | ఇల్లు | ||
| "ఇల్లు" can also refers to a house or a building. | |||
| Urdu | گھر | ||
| The word "گھر" in Urdu is derived from the Sanskrit word "गृह" (griha), meaning "house" or "dwelling". | |||
Home in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 家 | ||
| The character "家" (jiā) in simplified Chinese depicts a "pig" under a "roof", representing one's dwelling and family. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 家 | ||
| In addition to meaning "home", 家 also means "family" in Chinese (Traditional). | |||
| Japanese | 家 | ||
| The Japanese character "家" can also mean "family", "lineage", "clan", "house", or "household". | |||
| Korean | 집 | ||
| "집" also means "family" due to its origins in the Mongolian words "ger" and "jip", meaning "dwelling" and "family dwelling," respectively. | |||
| Mongolian | гэр | ||
| "The word гэр derives from the Mongolian verb "гэрэх," which means "to build a dwelling." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အိမ် | ||
| အိမ် (home) is derived from Proto-Burushaski *aŋ, meaning 'cave', or *aŋ, meaning 'to stop' or 'to abide'. | |||
Home in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | rumah | ||
| The Indonesian word "rumah" derives from the Sanskrit "griha" and also refers to the body, a house, household, or family. | |||
| Javanese | omah | ||
| In Javanese, "omah" also refers to a particular type of traditional Javanese house with a distinctive architectural style. | |||
| Khmer | ផ្ទះ | ||
| The word ផ្ទះ can also mean "house" or "abode". | |||
| Lao | ເຮືອນ | ||
| The Lao word "ເຮືອນ" (home) is derived from the Tai Dam word "huân", meaning "house". | |||
| Malay | kediaman | ||
| "Kediaman" also means "residence" in the sense of an official or diplomatic residence, such as the residence of an ambassador. | |||
| Thai | บ้าน | ||
| The word "บ้าน" can also mean "village" or "city" in Thai, and is cognate with the Pali word "vimana" meaning "heavenly mansion". | |||
| Vietnamese | trang chủ | ||
| "Trang Chủ" literally means "Main Page" in Vietnamese, and in modern usage commonly refers to the homepage of a website. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bahay | ||
Home in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | ev | ||
| Ev has alternate spelling forms in Azerbaijani: ev and öy. | |||
| Kazakh | үй | ||
| The Kazakh word "үй" is cognate with the Mongolian and Tuvan words meaning "den" or "campsite", and also has the alternate meanings of "dwelling", "family", and "lineage." | |||
| Kyrgyz | үй | ||
| "Үй" also means "house" and "family" in Kyrgyz, and comes from the Proto-Turkic word *ev*. | |||
| Tajik | хона | ||
| The Tajik word "хона" can also refer to a family unit or household. | |||
| Turkmen | öý | ||
| Uzbek | uy | ||
| The Uzbek word "uy" is thought to be related to the Proto-Mongolian word *üge, meaning "dwelling". It is cognate with the Mongolian word "ög", which also means "home". | |||
| Uyghur | ئۆي | ||
Home in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | home | ||
| The word "home" in Hawaiian can also mean "a place of refuge or safety" or "a place of love and belonging". | |||
| Maori | kainga | ||
| The Māori word "kainga" also means "village" or "settlement" and has a deeper meaning of "belonging to one's land and people." | |||
| Samoan | fale | ||
| The word “fale'' also refers to a traditional Samoan meeting house or a community building where gatherings and special events are often held. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | bahay | ||
| The Malay word 'bahay' also means 'body' and 'building' in Tagalog. | |||
Home in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | uta | ||
| Guarani | óga | ||
Home in International Languages
| Esperanto | hejmo | ||
| The Esperanto word "hejmo" derives from the English word "home" and has the alternate meaning of "native place". | |||
| Latin | domum | ||
| The root word of 'domum' is 'domus', meaning 'house or building', and is related to the English word 'domestic' | |||
Home in Others Languages
| Greek | σπίτι | ||
| In the 18th century, the word \ | |||
| Hmong | tsev | ||
| In some Hmong dialects, the word "tsev" (home) has an alternate meaning of "garden" due to the close proximity and interrelationship between these spaces in traditional Hmong villages. | |||
| Kurdish | xane | ||
| In Old Persian, "khaneh" had the dual meaning of "house" and "family". | |||
| Turkish | ev | ||
| The word "ev" can also refer to a building, a household, or a family. | |||
| Xhosa | ekhaya | ||
| In Xhosa, "ekhaya" signifies not just a physical residence, but also a profound emotional bond to a place and community. | |||
| Yiddish | היים | ||
| In Yiddish, "היים" also means "secrecy" or "confidentiality" when used with the definite article, as in the phrase "אונטערן פֿירהאַנג פֿון היימען" (untern firhang fun heymen) meaning "in complete confidence". | |||
| Zulu | ekhaya | ||
| The word "ekhaya" can also refer to one's place of birth, childhood home, or ancestral home. | |||
| Assamese | গৃহ | ||
| Aymara | uta | ||
| Bhojpuri | घर | ||
| Dhivehi | ގެ | ||
| Dogri | घर | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bahay | ||
| Guarani | óga | ||
| Ilocano | balay | ||
| Krio | os | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ماڵەوە | ||
| Maithili | घर | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯌꯨꯝ | ||
| Mizo | in | ||
| Oromo | mana | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଘର | ||
| Quechua | wasi | ||
| Sanskrit | गृहम् | ||
| Tatar | өй | ||
| Tigrinya | ገዛ | ||
| Tsonga | kaya | ||