Inklingo

How to Say "household" in Spanish

English → Spanish

casa

/KAH-sah//ˈkasa/

NounA1General
Use 'casa' when referring to the physical building or the people living inside it as a unit, similar to 'house' or 'home' in English.
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'.

familia

/fa-MEE-lee-ah//faˈmi.lja/

NounA1General
Choose 'familia' when you want to emphasize the group of people related by blood or marriage who live together, focusing on the kinship aspect.
A happy family consisting of a mother, a father, and one child sitting together on a green park bench, smiling warmly.

Examples

Mi familia vive en Argentina.

My family lives in Argentina.

Tengo una familia muy grande.

I have a very big family.

La familia es lo más importante para mí.

Family is the most important thing to me.

Always Feminine

Even though a family includes men and women, the word 'familia' is always feminine. This means you always say 'la familia' (the family) or 'una familia' (a family).

Confusing 'Familia' and 'Parientes'

Mistake: “Todos mis parientes viven en mi casa.”

Correction: Mi familia vive en mi casa. 'Familia' is better for your immediate household. 'Parientes' means all your relatives, including distant cousins you might not live with.

hogar

/oh-GAR//oˈɣaɾ/

NounA2General
Use 'hogar' to evoke the feeling of a warm, comfortable place where a family lives, emphasizing the emotional and domestic aspect of home.
A cozy, brightly colored cottage with smoke coming from the chimney, surrounded by lush greenery under a soft, warm sky, symbolizing a comfortable home.

Examples

No hay lugar como el hogar.

There's no place like home.

Creamos un hogar feliz para nuestros hijos.

We created a happy home for our children.

Es un centro de acogida para personas sin hogar.

It's a shelter for homeless people.

Hogar vs. Casa

'Hogar' is about the feeling of home—the family, warmth, and comfort. 'Casa' is the physical building or house. You live in a 'casa', but you create a 'hogar'.

Mixing up 'hogar' and 'casa'

Mistake: “Compré un nuevo hogar con tres dormitorios.”

Correction: Compré una nueva casa con tres dormitorios. You buy the physical building ('casa'), and then you make it a 'hogar' by living in it.

Confusing 'Casa' and 'Hogar'

Learners often confuse 'casa' and 'hogar'. Remember that 'casa' is more about the physical structure or the people within it, while 'hogar' carries a stronger emotional connotation of warmth and belonging, like the English 'home'.

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