house call
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house call
A visit that a person, often in a professional capacity (e.g., a doctor, midwife, or tradesperson), makes to someone at home.
Da der Patient zu schwach war, um in die Praxis zu kommen, machte der Arzt einen Hausbesuch.
Since the patient was too weak to come to the practice, the doctor made a house call.
'Hausbesuch' (house call) is a compound noun made up of 'Haus' (house) and 'Besuch' (visit). The meaning is directly understandable: a visit that takes place at someone's home.
Der Handwerker kommt morgen für einen Hausbesuch vorbei.
The tradesperson is coming by tomorrow for a house call.
The most common and natural verb combination is 'einen Hausbesuch machen' (to make a house call). This describes the action of visiting someone at home in a professional capacity.
Die Hebamme macht nach der Geburt regelmäßig Hausbesuche.
The midwife makes regular house calls after the birth.
To say at whose home the visit takes place, the preposition 'bei' is used with the dative. The pattern is: einen Hausbesuch bei jemandem machen (to make a house call at someone's home).
Der Arzt macht einen Hausbesuch bei der alten Dame.
The doctor makes a house call to the elderly lady.
visit / visitor
'der Besuch' and 'der Hausbesuch' both describe someone coming to another person. 'Besuch' is the general word and can be private or professional. It can also mean the visitors or guests themselves. 'Hausbesuch' is more specific: someone comes to a person's home, often in a professional role, for example a doctor, a midwife, or a tradesperson. Learners may confuse the words because every house call is a visit, but not every visit is a house call. If the place is the home and often a professional purpose is important, 'Hausbesuch' fits better.
Die Ärztin macht heute einen Hausbesuch, weil der Patient nicht in die Praxis kommen kann.
The doctor is making a house call today because the patient cannot come to the practice.
Der Besuch bei meinen Großeltern hat länger gedauert als geplant.
The visit to my grandparents took longer than planned.