Inklingo

How to Say "house" in Spanish

English → Spanish

casa

/KAH-sah//ˈkasa/

NounA1General
Use 'casa' for the general building where people live, your home.
A simple, cozy house with a red roof and a small garden.

Examples

Mi casa es tu casa.

My house is your house.

Vamos a casa de María.

Let's go to Maria's house.

Trabajo desde casa.

I work from home.

Using 'a casa' vs. 'en casa'

Use 'a casa' for movement towards home (like 'go home'), and 'en casa' for location at home (like 'be at home'). For example: 'Voy a casa' (I'm going home) vs. 'Estoy en casa' (I'm at home).

Forgetting the Gender

Mistake: “El casa es grande.”

Correction: La casa es grande. Remember that 'casa' is a feminine word, so it uses 'la' and adjectives that describe it usually end in '-a'.

residencia

reh-see-DEN-see-ah/resiˈðenθja/

NounA2Formal
Use 'residencia' for a formal dwelling or official place of residence, often implying a larger or more established home.
A cozy, brightly colored single-family house with a chimney and a small garden, signifying a place of habitation.

Examples

Su residencia principal está en la capital.

Their main residence is in the capital.

Necesitamos la dirección de su residencia para enviarle el paquete.

We need the address of your residence to send you the package.

El presidente se mudó a su residencia oficial.

The president moved to his official residence.

Always Feminine

Remember that 'residencia' is always a feminine word, so you must use feminine articles and adjectives with it (e.g., 'la residencia', 'una residencia grande').

Confusing with 'Hogar'

Mistake: “Usando 'residencia' cuando se refiere a un sentido emocional de hogar.”

Correction: Use 'hogar' (home) when talking about the feeling of comfort and belonging, and 'residencia' for the physical location or official address.

cámara

NounB1Formal, Political
Use 'cámara' specifically when referring to a legislative body, like the 'House of Representatives'.

Examples

La Cámara de Representantes votará la nueva ley mañana.

The House of Representatives will vote on the new law tomorrow.

Casa vs. Residencia

Learners often confuse 'casa' and 'residencia'. While both can mean 'house', 'residencia' is more formal and often implies a principal or official dwelling, whereas 'casa' is the everyday word for home.

Related Translations

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