House and home in Dutch - thuis vs huis vs tehuis vs huiselijk
This blog post is about the Dutch words and Dutch phrases with the Dutch equivalents of "house" and "home". As between house and home, there are some differences between "huis" and "thuis", which are not the same as in English. Generally, house is "huis" and home is "thuis". Just one letter difference.
huis, wonen
Let us start with house, the building where you live, "het huis waar je woont". Of course one "lives" there as well: "wonen is leven in een huis". And such a house is your dwelling, "woning". House building is "woningbouw". "Where do you live" is "Waar woon je". So far about "wonen" and derivatives. "Do you have a nice house" is "Heb je een leuk huis". Some Dutch would ask "Heb je een leuke woning" and that would be fully correct! House is also used as a verb in English, and there is an equivalent "huizen", which is a both the plural of "huis" and a verb. "This painter is housed in a nice studio" is "Deze kunstschilder huist in een mooi atelier" The equivalent verb is "huisvesten", but this word is mainly used in the form of "huisvesting", housing.
In most cases of compound or combined words "house" is used in a similar way as the Dutch "huis": house doctor (GP) is "huisdokter" or "huisarts", household is "huishouding". House warming does not even need a translation! There are also words with "huis" with an unexpected English equivalent, for instance "huisbaas" for landlord and "huiskamer" voor living-room.
huis, domestic
As you know there is another English word indicating house, "domestic". This will turn up in compound words with "huis" is used, for instance "huisdier" is "domestic animal". The following word has also entered the Dutch language: domestication is "domesticatie".
Finally there is a derivative of "huis", "huiselijk" which is equivalent to domestic as referring to life at home. "Domestic violence" is "huiselijk geweld".
thuis vs tehuis
Home is usually translated as "thuis", i.e. as an adverb. Compare the following expressions to get a feeling for "thuis": "here I feel at home" is "hier voel ik me thuis"; "make yourself at home is "doe alsof je thuis bent". A home match is "een thuiswedstrijd". But a home referee is more generally "een partijdige scheidsrechter", but you can colloquially call such a person "thuisfluiter", the one who whistles in favour of the home team. Home-coming is "thuiskomst".
Several English words with home (and many others) have been absorbed by the Dutch language, for instance homemade, homerun, hometrainer. Please observe that the Dutch equivalents are just one word.
"Thuis" as a noun can be used for a home for particular, for instance retired, people, but then it is written "tehuis". "a home for artists" would be "een tehuis voor kunstenaars".
huis vs thuis
Now be careful with automatically using "thuis" for "home". Homework from school is "huiswerk", homeward is "huiswaarts". But home work (instead of work at the office) is "thuiswerk"!
As for "huis", several words with "thuis" are different from the English. Some examples are "thuishoren" which is Dutch for to belong, "thuisbezorgen" is to deliver.
home vs heim
Finally, there is a Dutch word "heim", also written "heem" which is the direct equivalent of home. However, it is only used in particular phrases. The most particular is maybe "heimwee hebben" which is "to be homesick". Another unexpected word is "geheim" for secret.
This blog post is about the Dutch words and Dutch phrases with the Dutch equivalents of "house" and "home". As between house and home, there are some differences between "huis" and "thuis", which are not the same as in English. Generally, house is "huis" and home is "thuis". Just one letter difference.
huis, wonen
Let us start with house, the building where you live, "het huis waar je woont". Of course one "lives" there as well: "wonen is leven in een huis". And such a house is your dwelling, "woning". House building is "woningbouw". "Where do you live" is "Waar woon je". So far about "wonen" and derivatives. "Do you have a nice house" is "Heb je een leuk huis". Some Dutch would ask "Heb je een leuke woning" and that would be fully correct! House is also used as a verb in English, and there is an equivalent "huizen", which is a both the plural of "huis" and a verb. "This painter is housed in a nice studio" is "Deze kunstschilder huist in een mooi atelier" The equivalent verb is "huisvesten", but this word is mainly used in the form of "huisvesting", housing.
In most cases of compound or combined words "house" is used in a similar way as the Dutch "huis": house doctor (GP) is "huisdokter" or "huisarts", household is "huishouding". House warming does not even need a translation! There are also words with "huis" with an unexpected English equivalent, for instance "huisbaas" for landlord and "huiskamer" voor living-room.
huis, domestic
As you know there is another English word indicating house, "domestic". This will turn up in compound words with "huis" is used, for instance "huisdier" is "domestic animal". The following word has also entered the Dutch language: domestication is "domesticatie".
Finally there is a derivative of "huis", "huiselijk" which is equivalent to domestic as referring to life at home. "Domestic violence" is "huiselijk geweld".
thuis vs tehuis
Home is usually translated as "thuis", i.e. as an adverb. Compare the following expressions to get a feeling for "thuis": "here I feel at home" is "hier voel ik me thuis"; "make yourself at home is "doe alsof je thuis bent". A home match is "een thuiswedstrijd". But a home referee is more generally "een partijdige scheidsrechter", but you can colloquially call such a person "thuisfluiter", the one who whistles in favour of the home team. Home-coming is "thuiskomst".
Several English words with home (and many others) have been absorbed by the Dutch language, for instance homemade, homerun, hometrainer. Please observe that the Dutch equivalents are just one word.
"Thuis" as a noun can be used for a home for particular, for instance retired, people, but then it is written "tehuis". "a home for artists" would be "een tehuis voor kunstenaars".
huis vs thuis
Now be careful with automatically using "thuis" for "home". Homework from school is "huiswerk", homeward is "huiswaarts". But home work (instead of work at the office) is "thuiswerk"!
As for "huis", several words with "thuis" are different from the English. Some examples are "thuishoren" which is Dutch for to belong, "thuisbezorgen" is to deliver.
home vs heim
Finally, there is a Dutch word "heim", also written "heem" which is the direct equivalent of home. However, it is only used in particular phrases. The most particular is maybe "heimwee hebben" which is "to be homesick". Another unexpected word is "geheim" for secret.
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