das Haus
house
A building mainly used as a place to live for one or more families.
EXAMPLE
Wir haben letztes Jahr ein kleines Haus am Stadtrand gekauft.
Last year we bought a small house on the outskirts of town.
das Haus
house
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Meanings
zu Hause
at home
Indicates the place where one lives. It describes position, not direction.
EXAMPLE
Ich bin heute Abend zu Hause und schaue einen Film.
I'm at home this evening and watching a film.
nach Hause
home
Indicates the direction of movement toward one's own place of residence.
EXAMPLE
Nach der Arbeit fahre ich direkt nach Hause.
After work, I drive straight home.
das Haus
household
The community of people who live in a house; the household.
EXAMPLE
Als die Musik zu laut wurde, beschwerte sich das ganze Haus.
When the music got too loud, the whole house complained.
das Haus
house / firm
A company, firm, or institution, especially in certain sectors such as fashion, publishing, or finance.
EXAMPLE
Das Modehaus Chanel präsentierte seine neue Kollektion in Paris.
The fashion house Chanel presented its new collection in Paris.
das Haus
house / dynasty
A dynasty or noble family line.
EXAMPLE
Das Haus Habsburg herrschte über viele Jahrhunderte in Europa.
The House of Habsburg ruled in Europe for many centuries.
Usage tips
Direction vs. location
The expressions 'nach Hause' (home, toward home) and 'zu Hause' (at home) are fundamental. 'Nach Hause' expresses movement (to where?), while 'zu Hause' describes a location (where?).
EXAMPLE
Ich gehe jetzt nach Hause.
I'm going home now.
Common in compounds
The word 'Haus' (house) is a very productive component of compound nouns. It often describes the purpose of a building.
EXAMPLE
Im Rathaus befindet sich die Stadtverwaltung.
The city administration is located in the town hall.
Fixed expression
The expression 'von Haus aus' means 'by nature' or 'originally'. It describes an innate quality or an original field of training.
EXAMPLE
Sie ist von Haus aus Juristin, arbeitet aber jetzt als Künstlerin.
She is originally a lawyer, but now works as an artist.
Use without an article
The fixed expressions 'zu Hause' (at home) and 'nach Hause' (home, toward home) are always used without an article. You don't say 'im zu Hause' or 'ins nach Hause'.
EXAMPLE
Fühl dich wie zu Hause!
Make yourself at home!
Figurative meaning
Sometimes 'das Haus' (the house) stands for all the people who live in it. It is then treated like a group of people and can have its own verb in the sentence.
EXAMPLE
Das ganze Haus hat mitgefiebert, als die Nationalmannschaft spielte.
The whole house was on the edge of its seat when the national team was playing.
Context: business
When 'Haus' (house) appears in the context of fashion, publishing, or finance, it often means 'Firma' (company) or 'Unternehmen' (enterprise/business). It is often combined directly with the name of the industry.
EXAMPLE
Das Verlagshaus hat einen neuen Bestseller veröffentlicht.
The publishing house has released a new bestseller.
Context: history
In historical texts, 'das Haus' (the house) can refer to a noble family line or a dynasty. It is often connected with a family name.
EXAMPLE
Das Haus von Thurn und Taxis war für die Entwicklung des Postwesens wichtig.
The House of Thurn and Taxis was important for the development of the postal system.
Compare with
Haus vs Gebäude
building
Haus and Gebäude can refer to the same object when talking about a residential structure. Haus is the everyday term and often puts living in the building in the foreground; Gebäude describes the structure in a functional and neutral way. Gebäude is more appropriate for factual information about the structure itself.
Haus
Dieses Haus haben wir gekauft, weil unsere Familie darin wohnen möchte.
We bought this house because our family wants to live in it.
Gebäude
Dieses Gebäude wird vor dem Kauf gründlich auf Schäden geprüft.
This building will be thoroughly inspected for damage before it is purchased.
In real life
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