Often mistaken with each other, these two terms have their similarities but also have their differences. A house serves as the living quarters while a home is one’s place of residence, but there’s more to it than you might think.
Definitions
Getty Images/OJO Images/Robert Daly
A House is a building that functions as a home for people, and ranges from simple huts and shanties to complex and fixed structures of wood, marble, and brick containing plumbing, ventilation and of course electrical systems. Practically, it serves as a living quarters for people.
Today, most modern houses in western cultures usually consist of one or more bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen, and a living room. Traditionally, a house was mostly agriculture-oriented where domestic animals such as pigs, chickens, ducks etc. might share a part of the house with their owners.
Regarding a house’s design, it is subject to change due to globalization, urbanization and other social economic, demographic, and technological reasons. Other cultural factors can also influence the building design of the house. This simply means that a house may be built in different styles and patterns depending on where your location is, your economic status, and your technological and social needs.
Getty Images/DigitalVision/Klaus Vedfelt
A Home is a place that an individual family, household, or even several families in a tribe holds as a permanent or semi-permanent residence. It is actually a house, apartment, mobile home, houseboat, or any other portable shelter as long as it’s occupied by a family or a household (consists of one or more people that share meals and living accommodations).
A home, in simpler terms, is a place that is close to the heart of the resident and will eventually become a prized possession. Also, home can also pertain to where an individual grew up and where one can find solace.
What’s the difference between a house and a home? While the answer can easily be taken from their definitions, other perspectives give the terms house and home a different meaning. This gives both terms differences not just by their definitions, but also by their impact on an individual.
A house, as we all know, is a building that’s built for the purpose of a dwelling place. Home on the other hand, is where an individual or group of people live where they can share meals and living accommodations, may it be a mansion, an apartment, or a simple hut. Take note however, a house is still a house whether there are people living in it or not. A house can be called a home when an individual or a group of people has an emotional attachment to it. Also, a home can be something abstract like a place in an individual’s mind. It may mean a place where that individual feels most comfortable and feels that they belong, like a city, state or even country.
So to summarize, a house is a physical thing that is built with wood and bricks, furnished with furniture and carpets etc., while a home is built with the emotional attachment of an individual, a family or a group of people. As the saying goes, “one can buy a house but not a home”.
Comparison Chart
| House | Home |
| A living place | A living place associated with emotional bond |
| Built physically | Built around emotional relationships |
| Shanties, huts, shacks, mansions etc. | Houses, apartments, etc. including towns, cities etc. |
| Can be bought | Can’t be bought |
There is not much of a difference between home and house though they definitely have different connotations. As you all know, there are many pairs of words in English language that are almost synonymous. One such pair is house and home. Both of them refer to a place of living, and you are technically not wrong if you invite your friend to your house though people prefer to use the word home to describe the dwelling they live in. This article intends to stress on the correct usage of these words depending upon the context they are used in. You will understand that the difference between home and house comes with our emotional attachments to a place.
What does House mean?
House means a particular type of building. Generally people refer to the structure that they are building as a house. If you look at the way dwellings are numbered by municipalities who are interested in collecting property taxes, they talk in terms of house number so and so and never talk in terms of home numbers. This one example is enough to demonstrate the difference between a structure called a house and a place where families live in. A home is an abode that provides peace, comfort, happiness, security, and confidence. These are qualities that you do not expect in a house which is just a structure made of bricks and mortar. Look at the example.
This lane has 20 houses on either side.
The speaker is generally describing the buildings he sees in an area. He does not have an emotional attachment to these buildings. So, they are houses.
What does Home mean?
Home refers to the place where you live and feel that you belong to. Generally, people call the structure they are building a home only once it is complete, and they start living in it with their family. This is natural and also correct as a house is a home only because of the people living inside it. Our emotions are built around the sanctuary or abode we live in. A home is an additional family member that may be non-living but is as much a part of the family as people living inside it. One does not refer to a hotel or a guest house as a home despite it having rooms where people come and stay for a while. An abode is a home because of this emotional attachment and also because of the feeling of ownership and shelter if provides to its members. Look at the example.
Your house is nice, but I want to go home.
Here, the speaker is visiting someone else’s place. That place does not belong to the speaker and he/she does not feel that he/she belong to that place. So, that place is known as house while the place where the speaker lives and feels that he/she belongs to is known as home.
What is the difference between Home and House?
• Both home and house refer to a place of dwelling but differ in psychological and emotional meanings.
• A house is a structure made up of bricks and cement; it is more a physical entity than a home, which connotes emotional feelings.
• A home is a place where people live, and they feel they belong to. So, for a house to become a home people should live in it, and they should have an emotional attachment to that place.
• The difference between a house and a home is reflected in the use of phrases such as make yourself at home and a home is where you feel at home.
• The people who do not have a place of their own to live in are known as homeless, not houseless. That is because it shows they do not have a family or someone of their own. They do not have a place they belong to.
To speak in simple terms, a home is where you, especially, your mind and heart feel at home. A house can be used as a warehouse, a rest house or as an office, but a home is always meant for a family to live peacefully.
Images Courtesy:
- House by CC BY 2.5)
- Home sweet home via Wikicommons (Public Domain)
Table of Contents
What’s the difference between home and house? There is a difference, but it can be hard to define. Home has a sense of belonging while house doesn’t. House feels like an outsider in your life, while a home is where you feel safe and comfortable. The difference can also be described as old versus new or temporary versus permanent. This blog post will explore the difference between these two words that we use all the time!
What is a House?
A house is a building or structure that has walls and a roof. Houses are usually made of wood, brick, concrete, glass, and other materials. Most houses have electricity and running water as well as bedrooms and bathrooms. Many think of their house as the place where they live temporarily, alone or even with family.
What is Home?
Home is the place where you feel most comfortable. It might be a house, but it can also be any other structure or building that has walls and a roof. One definition of home is «the house in which one lives.». Home is often used to describe your family’s country of origin i.e., «I am going back to my Italian home for the summer.». In English, home can also be used to describe a family environment without specifying whether it is a house or other structure.
Difference Between House & Home
The main underlying difference between both these terms is the way they are used in general. A house & home can be used interchangeably but the word ‘House’ is more formal that focuses on bricks & roof. On the other hand, the word ‘Home’ is used more informally & usually refers to a place that has more than one inhabitant. The word ‘Home’ screams family! It is often used by ones that have a family or a couple. Thus the House is a more personal word while a Home is more associated with a family.
There are also some other major differences between both these words that make them stand apart from each other. A house is more characterized by its structural design, whereas a Home is often based on personal tastes & preferences!
A house often refers to the land upon which it stands while ‘Home’ focuses on interior design & architecture. Also, you are likely to have lived in your House longer if you are an adult while your Home might be the place where you grew up.
FAQs
What are some examples of a house?
For example — «There are five houses on that street.» or «I plan to buy a house in California.»
Note that the usage of the word has more emphasis on the word «House» rather than its inhabitants.
What are some examples of a home?
For example — «I plan to go back to my family home in Florida.» or «Our family is planning to shift to a new home this summer.»
Note that here the emphasis is more on the inhabitants & less on the word itself.
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home
Feel free to comment and discuss about the article in the comment space below if you have any information or remarks to add. If you think we made a mistake, you can also report it there.
About the Author: Tom Vincent
Tom Vincent graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics and social studies. He then started his higher education at the University of François Rabelais in Tours with a DUT Information Communication. To expand his knowledge, he also followed a professional degree in e-commerce and digital marketing at the Lumière University of Lyon. On this project, he is in charge of articles covering language, industry and social.
В английском языке много пар слов, которые являются практически синонимами. Одним из примеров являются слова house и home. Оба эти слова относятся к месту, в котором мы обитаем, и, в принципе, приглашая друга к себе домой, можно использовать слово house, хотя большинство предпочитает использовать слово home для описания своего жилья. Таким образом, словом home мы привыкли называть место, где живем, а слово house обозначает тип жилья.
Человек может жить в апартаментах, а может жить и в палатке, вигваме, хижине, или в лодке. Где бы вы ни жили, это место будет называться вашим домом, т.е. home. Home также имеет образное значение. Вспомните пословицу home is where the heart is– дом там, где твое сердце. Хотя вы можете жить в доме — house, слово home прибавляет эмоциональной окраски тому месту, где вы живете. Чаще всего люди называют то, что они строят, словом house, а по окончании строительства, когда начинают жить там всей семьей, называют его словом home. Это вполне естественно, т.к. house становится home только потому, что в нем живут люди. home – это дополнительный член семьи, часть самой семьи. Почему мы не называем мотель или гостиницу, где также люди временно живут, словом home? Жилье можно обозначить словом home из-за своей эмоциональной окраски, из-за чувства собственности и крова, предоставляемого вашей семье. Слово home подразумевает семью, тепло, уют, родину, а слово house — сооружение из камня, кирпича или дерева.
Мы подобрали для вас выражения и примеры использования слов house и home, что поможет вам лучше понять смысл этих слов.
HOUSE
А теперь предлагаем вам пройти небольшой тест на эту тему.
home, house
1. This is the … that Jack built
a. home
b. house
2. When I travel I always want to return …
a. home
b. house
3. As soon as saw the place he lived I realized that it was a bachelor’s …
a. home
b. house
4. Mary likes to receive guests in her …
a. home
b. house
5. Mary didn’t know that her dog was taken to the boarding …
a. home
b. house
6. 6. Many people when become old live at … for the old
a. home
b. house
7. It is very difficult to keep a … like this
a. home
b. house
8. We have many enterprises both … and abroad
a. home
b. house
9. Indian jungle is … for tigers
a. home
b. house
10. I like …-plants and know much about them
a. home
b. house
Слова home и house похожи по смыслу и одинаково переводятся на русский язык: «дом». Тем не менее, между ними есть существенная разница.
Под словом house понимается дом как строение, причем это не многоквартирный дом, а именно частный дом.
This house is for sale now. – Этот дом сейчас продается.
I heard that the house on the hill is haunted. – Я слышал, что в том доме на холме водятся привидения.
This house is going to be demolished. – Этот дом будет снесен.
I want to build a house. – Я хочу построить дом.
Многоквартирный дом переводится как apartment building.
I rent an apartment in that apartment building. – Я снимаю квартиру в этом (многоквартирном) доме.
Two houses, one shop and an apartment building have been damaged by fire. – Два дома, один магазин и один многоквартирный дом были повреждены в пожаре.
Home – дом как жилище, место, где мы живем
Под house подразумевается дом как здание, а говоря home, мы имеем в виду не просто строение, а место, где мы живем, где тепло и уютно, где мы чувствуем себя как дома.
Home, sweet home. – Дом, милый дом.
Home is where the heart is. – Дом там, где сердце.
Под home может подразумеваться не только жилище, но и Родина:
We must protect our home! – Мы должны защитить наш дом!
Tomorrow we’ll go home. – Завтра мы отправимся домой.
Слово home как наречие (go home, be home)
Слово home часто употребляют не только как существительное, но и как наречие. Разница в том, что перед существительным home может использоваться предлог, а перед наречием нет.
Home как наречие:
Как наречие, home (без предлога) обычно используется в таких выражениях, как to be home – быть дома, to go home – идти домой.
Honey, I’m home! – Дорогая, я дома!
We are going home. – Мы идем домой.
Home как существительное:
I forgot my homework at home. – Я забыл домашнюю работу дома.
We have no furniture left at home. – У нас дома не осталось мебели.
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