House in Different Languages
Discover 'House' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The humble house is more than just a structure; it's a symbol of warmth, security, and belonging. Throughout history and across cultures, the house has held great significance as a fundamental unit of society. It's where families gather, memories are made, and personal stories unfold.
From the towering castles of medieval Europe to the minimalist abodes of contemporary Japan, the concept of 'house' is both universal and deeply personal. It reflects the values, traditions, and technological advancements of a society, making it a fascinating subject of study for language and culture enthusiasts.
Understanding the translation of 'house' in different languages not only broadens your vocabulary but also offers a window into the unique ways different cultures perceive and experience this basic human necessity.
For instance, the German word for house, 'Haus,' is similar to its English counterpart, while the French 'maison' and Spanish 'casa' convey a sense of warmth and familiarity. Meanwhile, in Chinese, 'wù' (屋) is a character that represents a roof, emphasizing the functional aspect of a house.
Join us as we explore the translations of 'house' in various languages, shedding light on the diverse and intriguing ways this simple word is expressed around the world.
House
House in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | huis | ||
| The Afrikaans word "huis" has Germanic roots, and is cognate with the Old English word "hūs" and the German word "Haus", and ultimately comes from the Proto-Germanic word "*hūsaz". | |||
| Amharic | ቤት | ||
| The word ቤት can also mean a 'household, family' and 'family lineage, clan'. | |||
| Hausa | gida | ||
| "Gida" also means "the body of a human being" or "a large bag" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | ụlọ | ||
| The Igbo word "ụlọ" refers to a physical structure or an abstract concept, embodying the idea of home, family, and belonging. | |||
| Malagasy | trano | ||
| Some cognates of the word 'trano' with similar meanings exist in other Malayo-Polynesian languages, such as 'balay' in Tagalog and 'wale' in Javanese. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | nyumba | ||
| The word "nyumba" can also be used to refer to a building or a structure, particularly one that is used for shelter or habitation. | |||
| Shona | imba | ||
| The word 'imba' can also refer to a family, kinship group, or homestead. | |||
| Somali | guri | ||
| The Somali word "guri" has roots in the Cushitic language family and is related to the Proto-Cushitic word "*gur" meaning "enclosure" or "fenced area." | |||
| Sesotho | ntlo | ||
| In Sesotho, the word "ntlo" primarily denotes a physical dwelling but can also refer to a homestead or family compound. | |||
| Swahili | nyumba | ||
| The word "nyumba" can also mean "home" or "family" in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | indlu | ||
| In Xhosa, "indlu" not only refers to a physical structure where people live, but also to a household or the people who live within.} | |||
| Yoruba | ile | ||
| The word 'ile' can also mean 'family' or 'homeland' in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | indlu | ||
| The Zulu word 'indlu' can also mean a 'hut' or a 'dwelling', and is derived from the Proto-Nguni word '*indlu' with the same meaning. | |||
| Bambara | so | ||
| Ewe | aƒe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | inzu | ||
| Lingala | ndako | ||
| Luganda | enju | ||
| Sepedi | ntlo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | fie | ||
House in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | منزل | ||
| The word منزل also refers to a stage or position, e.g. منزل الصيام (the stage of fasting), منزل المرض (the stage of sickness). | |||
| Hebrew | בַּיִת | ||
| This word can also mean "dynasty" in Biblical Hebrew. | |||
| Pashto | کور | ||
| The Pashto word "کور" also means "room" or "apartment." | |||
| Arabic | منزل | ||
| The word منزل also refers to a stage or position, e.g. منزل الصيام (the stage of fasting), منزل المرض (the stage of sickness). | |||
House in Western European Languages
| Albanian | shtëpia | ||
| The word "shtëpia" (house) is derived from the Proto-Albanian word *stā-, meaning "to stay" or "to dwell". | |||
| Basque | etxea | ||
| The Basque word “etxea” is also used to refer to a home, a family, or a household. | |||
| Catalan | casa | ||
| In Catalan, "casa" refers not only to a dwelling but also a family lineage or a noble household | |||
| Croatian | kuća | ||
| The word "kuća" in Croatian, meaning "house", is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*kućьje". It is also found in other Slavic languages, such as Russian "дом" (dom), Polish "dom", and Czech "dům". | |||
| Danish | hus | ||
| In Danish, the word "hus" can also refer to "memory" or "mind". | |||
| Dutch | huis | ||
| The word "huis" in Dutch is also cognate with the English word "hide" and historically referred to a dwelling place, rather than a building. | |||
| English | house | ||
| The word "house" comes from the Old English word "hūs", which originally meant "a shelter". | |||
| French | maison | ||
| The French word "maison" derives from the Latin word "mansio", meaning a resting place or dwelling. | |||
| Frisian | hûs | ||
| The word "hûs" can also refer to a family, household, or lineage, reflecting the central role of the house in Frisian culture. | |||
| Galician | casa | ||
| In Galician, "casa" can also refer to a family's extended household or lineage, or a building that houses multiple families. | |||
| German | haus | ||
| In Old High German, "Haus" meant "to enclose, protect" and was also the word for "enclosure, shelter". | |||
| Icelandic | hús | ||
| The word 'hús' is also used colloquially in Icelandic to mean 'a room', 'a building' or even 'a place of residence'. | |||
| Irish | teach | ||
| "Teach" is also an Irish word meaning "house" or "shelter", and is cognate with the Welsh word "ty" meaning "house" or "building". | |||
| Italian | casa | ||
| Casa derives from the Latin word "casa" meaning "hut" or "cabin" and is also the root of the Spanish word "casa." | |||
| Luxembourgish | haus | ||
| In Luxembourgish, the word "Haus" also means "head" in the sense of a person who is in charge of a household or a family. | |||
| Maltese | dar | ||
| "Dar" in Maltese has Persian roots and can also mean "mansion" or "palace". | |||
| Norwegian | hus | ||
| The word "hus" is in fact made up of the words "hús" (shelter) and "búi" (inhabiting). | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | casa | ||
| In Portugal, "casa" can also refer to a family's entire living space, including outdoor areas. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | taigh | ||
| The Gaelic word “taigh” originally referred to a roof or shelter. | |||
| Spanish | casa | ||
| The word 'casa' in Spanish can refer either to a 'house' (building) or to a 'dynasty' or 'family lineage'. | |||
| Swedish | hus | ||
| The Swedish word "hus" has cognates in several other Germanic languages and may be related to the Old Indo-European root "keu-/*ko-/*ku-", meaning "to swell" or "to bulge". | |||
| Welsh | tŷ | ||
| The word "tŷ" is also used in Welsh to refer to a building, a home, or a dwelling. | |||
House in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | дом | ||
| "Дом" in Belarusian can also mean "home", "family", or "clan". | |||
| Bosnian | kuća | ||
| The word "kuća" can also mean "clan" or "family" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | къща | ||
| The word "къща" (house) comes from the Proto-Slavic word *kǫšta, meaning "dwelling", and is related to the Old Church Slavonic word *kъšta, meaning "building", "edifice", or "house". | |||
| Czech | dům | ||
| In Old Czech, "dům" also meant "castle" or "fortress". | |||
| Estonian | maja | ||
| "Maja" is also used colloquially to mean "home" or "family." | |||
| Finnish | talo | ||
| The word "talo" has a derivative meaning from "tala, | |||
| Hungarian | ház | ||
| The word 'ház' ('house') in Hungarian can also refer to the extended family (who live together) or the household | |||
| Latvian | māja | ||
| The word “māja” may also refer to one's hometown, one's household, or, figuratively, one's home country. | |||
| Lithuanian | namas | ||
| The word 'namas' has Slavic origin and it is related to the word 'home' in English. | |||
| Macedonian | куќа | ||
| "Куќа" also refers to a type of Macedonian traditional garment worn by women, consisting of a long, pleated skirt and an embroidered bodice. | |||
| Polish | dom | ||
| The word "dom" in Polish is cognate with Latin "domus" and Proto-Indo-European "*demh₂" (house). | |||
| Romanian | casa | ||
| In Romanian, "casa" can also mean "home," "family," or "village." | |||
| Russian | дом | ||
| The Russian word "дом" (house) is cognate with the English word "dome" and originally referred to a building with a vaulted ceiling. | |||
| Serbian | кућа | ||
| The Serbian word "кућа" not only means "house" but also "household" and "family". | |||
| Slovak | dom | ||
| The word "dom" in Slovak can also refer to a church building, or more broadly to a community or institution. | |||
| Slovenian | hiša | ||
| The word 'hiša' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'chyža', which also means 'dwelling' or 'hut'. | |||
| Ukrainian | будинок | ||
| The word 'будинок' can also refer to an apartment building. | |||
House in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | গৃহ | ||
| The word 'গৃহ' ('house') is etymologically rooted in Sanskrit and holds alternate meanings such as 'abode' and 'home'. | |||
| Gujarati | ઘર | ||
| "ઘર" can also mean "home" or "family" in Gujarati. | |||
| Hindi | मकान | ||
| 'मकान' is also the Persian word for 'home'. | |||
| Kannada | ಮನೆ | ||
| The word "ಮನೆ" can also mean "temple" or "inner self" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | വീട് | ||
| "വീട്" refers to a dwelling, but also has a broader meaning in Malayalam referring to one's place of origin, a lineage, or their family. | |||
| Marathi | घर | ||
| In Marathi, the word 'घर' (ghar) can also refer to a family, household, or home in a wider sense, not just the physical structure. | |||
| Nepali | घर | ||
| The word 'घर' ('house') derives from Middle Indo-Aryan and Sanskrit 'gṛ́ham' and has related words in many Indo-Aryan languages | |||
| Punjabi | ਘਰ | ||
| The word "ਘਰ" can also refer to a group of like-minded people or a family name. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නිවස | ||
| The word "නිවස" can also refer to a room or a building used for religious purposes in Sinhala. | |||
| Tamil | வீடு | ||
| The word “வீடு” (“house”) also denotes the body as the residence of the soul in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | ఇల్లు | ||
| The Telugu word for house, "ిల్లు", comes from the root word 'ill' meaning to cover. | |||
| Urdu | گھر | ||
| The word "گھر" (ghar) in Urdu can also refer to a "home", "dwelling", or "shelter" | |||
House in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 屋 | ||
| The Chinese character 屋 represents a house that has a roof but no windows. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 屋 | ||
| 屋 also means 'roof' or 'home' and is a homophone with the character 'yu' (魚) meaning 'fish'. | |||
| Japanese | 家 | ||
| The kanji "家" can also mean "family" or "clan" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 집 | ||
| The word "집" (house) in Korean originally meant "a place where one's family gathers". | |||
| Mongolian | байшин | ||
| "Байшин" is also used to refer to a type of yurt known as a "ger". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အိမ် | ||
| The word “အိမ်” has extended meanings like “room” and “den” for wild animals | |||
House in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | rumah | ||
| The word "rumah" is derived from Sanskrit "griha" and also refers to a family or household. | |||
| Javanese | omah | ||
| The word "omah" can also refer to the entire household, including the people and animals that live in it. | |||
| Khmer | ផ្ទះ | ||
| The word "ផ្ទះ" in Khmer can also refer to a shop, store, or business. | |||
| Lao | ເຮືອນ | ||
| The Lao word for "house" (ເຮືອນ) is cognate with the Thai word "เรือน" and the Khmer word "រាន". | |||
| Malay | rumah | ||
| The word "rumah" also means "body" in Malay, reflecting the traditional view of the house as a "microcosm" of the human body. | |||
| Thai | บ้าน | ||
| The Thai word "บ้าน" is derived from Sanskrit, and can also refer to a village or community. | |||
| Vietnamese | nhà ở | ||
| "Nhà ở" in Vietnamese literally means "a place to stay," alluding to both permanent and temporary shelter in one word. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bahay | ||
House in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | ev | ||
| "Ev" is also the root of other words like "evlik" (married) and "evlat" (child). | |||
| Kazakh | үй | ||
| The word "үй" can also refer to a yurt, a traditional Kazakh dwelling. | |||
| Kyrgyz | үй | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "үй" is cognate with other Turkic languages, originally meaning "abode, dwelling place, or tent". | |||
| Tajik | хона | ||
| In Wakhi, "khōna" refers to a nomadic dwelling, while in Uzbek, it can mean "inn" or "guesthouse". | |||
| Turkmen | jaý | ||
| Uzbek | uy | ||
| The word "uy" is also used to refer to a family or a household in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | ئۆي | ||
House in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hale | ||
| Hale can also mean a religious house or temple. | |||
| Maori | whare | ||
| The word "whare" can refer to a Maori house, a building, or a shelter, and derives from the Proto-Polynesian word "*faɾe". | |||
| Samoan | fale | ||
| The word "fale" in Samoan can also refer to a meetinghouse or a church. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | bahay | ||
| In Philippine mythology, "bahay" originally referred to a house inhabited by spirits, hence its religious meanings and reverence within Tagalog culture. | |||
House in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | uta | ||
| Guarani | óga | ||
House in International Languages
| Esperanto | domo | ||
| Domo (house) is derived from the Latin word “domus” and also relates to the concept of "taming" or "domesticating" in Esperanto. | |||
| Latin | domum or casa | ||
| Domum meant 'home' and specifically a 'fixed' home, while casa referred to a 'hut' or 'shed'. | |||
House in Others Languages
| Greek | σπίτι | ||
| The word "σπίτι" can also mean a "homeland" or a "household" in Greek. | |||
| Hmong | lub tsev | ||
| There is also an archaic form, "lub tsuj," that is still in liturgical use. | |||
| Kurdish | xanî | ||
| Xanî also signifies 'a household', 'people living in the same house', or even 'family'. | |||
| Turkish | ev | ||
| The word "ev" is derived from the Persian word "av" and also means "room" or "apartment" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | indlu | ||
| In Xhosa, "indlu" not only refers to a physical structure where people live, but also to a household or the people who live within.} | |||
| Yiddish | הויז | ||
| In addition to "house," "הויז" also means "temple" in the Old Yiddish of the 12th-13th centuries. | |||
| Zulu | indlu | ||
| The Zulu word 'indlu' can also mean a 'hut' or a 'dwelling', and is derived from the Proto-Nguni word '*indlu' with the same meaning. | |||
| Assamese | ঘৰ | ||
| Aymara | uta | ||
| Bhojpuri | घर | ||
| Dhivehi | ގެ | ||
| Dogri | घर | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bahay | ||
| Guarani | óga | ||
| Ilocano | balay | ||
| Krio | os | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | خانوو | ||
| Maithili | घर | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯌꯨꯝ | ||
| Mizo | in | ||
| Oromo | mana | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଘର | ||
| Quechua | wasi | ||
| Sanskrit | गृहम् | ||
| Tatar | йорт | ||
| Tigrinya | ገዛ | ||
| Tsonga | yindlo | ||