Having one's official place of residence in a specific location. This word is mainly used in administrative language and formal documents.
example
Der Zeuge ist wohnhaft in der Schillerstraße 5 in Weimar.
The witness is resident at 5 Schillerstraße in Weimar.
Usage tips
Word structure
The adjective 'wohnhaft' (resident) is derived from the verb 'wohnen' (to live/reside). The ending '-haft' forms adjectives that describe a state or quality.
EXAMPLE
Um hier zu arbeiten, müssen Sie nicht in der Stadt wohnhaft sein.
To work here, you do not have to be resident in the city.
Register: official language
This word belongs to formal official and administrative language. You will find it in forms, contracts, or police reports, but it is almost never used in everyday speech.
EXAMPLE
Bitte geben Sie an, wo Sie aktuell wohnhaft sind.
Please state where you are currently resident.
Sentence structure
'Wohnhaft' (resident) is used almost exclusively predicatively, that is, after a verb like 'sein' (to be). Using it directly before a noun, e.g. 'der wohnhafte Bürger' (the resident citizen), is extremely rare and sounds unnatural.
EXAMPLE
Der gesuchte Mann ist in Berlin wohnhaft.
The wanted man is resident in Berlin.
Fixed preposition
The word 'wohnhaft' (resident) is almost always combined with the preposition 'in' and the place. The fixed structure is: 'wohnhaft in' + place/address.
EXAMPLE
Sie ist seit 2010 in München wohnhaft.
She has been resident in Munich since 2010.
Compare with
near_synonym · confusable
wohnhaft vs ansässig
based / resident
'ansässig' and 'wohnhaft' both mean that someone lives in a particular place. Both sound formal. 'wohnhaft' is used especially in forms, certificates, or official texts, and mostly only for people. 'ansässig' can be used for people, but very often also for companies. It emphasizes more that someone or something has a fixed base in a place. Learners may confuse the words because both have to do with a place of residence. In official information about a person, 'wohnhaft' is very typical; for companies, 'ansässig' is more natural.
wohnhaft
Der Kunde ist laut Vertrag in der Gartenstraße 12 wohnhaft.
According to the contract, the customer is resident at 12 Gartenstraße.
ansässig
Der Hersteller ist in der Nähe von Stuttgart ansässig.