vacation home
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vacation home
A house that is not the main residence, but is used or rented out specifically for stays during vacations.
Wir haben für den Sommer ein kleines Ferienhaus am Meer gemietet.
We rented a small vacation home by the sea for the summer.
The word is made up of 'die Ferien' (vacation/holidays, plural) and 'das Haus' (house). The '-n-' is a linking element that connects the two words. Literally, then, it is a 'house for the holidays'.
Viele Familien träumen von einem eigenen Ferienhaus am See.
Many families dream of having their own vacation home by the lake.
'Ferienhaus' (vacation home) is often combined with verbs related to renting or owning. Typical phrases are 'ein Ferienhaus mieten' (to rent a vacation home), 'buchen' (to book), or 'besitzen' (to own).
Für unseren nächsten Urlaub wollen wir ein Ferienhaus in den Bergen buchen.
For our next vacation, we want to book a vacation home in the mountains.
Pay attention to the case with the preposition 'in'. When describing staying there, use the dative: 'im Ferienhaus sein' (to be in the vacation home). When describing movement toward it, use the accusative: 'ins Ferienhaus fahren' (to drive/go to the vacation home).
Wir fahren morgen ins Ferienhaus.
We're going to the vacation home tomorrow.
cottage
Das Ferienhaus and das Cottage can both refer to a small house in the countryside used for a vacation. Ferienhaus emphasizes the purpose of using the house for a vacation, while Cottage refers more to its small, cozy design in the English style. Ferienhaus is appropriate when focusing on the purpose, while Cottage can be appropriate for this particular type of house.
Für unseren Urlaub mieteten wir ein Ferienhaus am See.
We rented a vacation home by the lake for our holiday.
Für unseren Urlaub mieteten wir ein gemütliches Cottage im englischen Stil am See.
We rented a cozy English-style cottage by the lake for our holiday.
