Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| à la maison | /a la mɛ.zɔ̃/ /a la me.zɔ̃/ |
| chez soi | /ʃe swa/ |
French speakers use these terms to describe being at one's place of residence. À la maison is most commonly used when referring to the physical house or the state of being indoors at one's residence.
Which one should you use?
While à la maison is the standard way to say 'at home', chez soi is a more formal or abstract way to refer to 'one's own place' in general. In English, chez soi can be translated as 'at one's place' or 'at one's own home'.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to specify whose home you are referring to, the phrase chez is used with a corresponding pronoun. To say 'at your home' to a single person you know well, use chez toi. To say 'at his home', use chez lui and to say 'at her home', use chez elle.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of à la maison is /a la mɛ.zɔ̃/ and it has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- In French, chez can be used for businesses as well as residences. You can say chez le boulanger to mean 'at the bakery' because the shop is seen as the baker's professional home.
- French uses chez to describe a characteristic of a person or group. For example, chez les Français means 'among the French' or 'typical of the French'.
- The word maison shares an ancestor with the English word 'mansion', from the Latin 'mansio' meaning 'a place to stay'.
Examples in context
- Tu es à la maison.You are at home.This sentence is useful for stating that someone is at home using à la maison.Tatoeba #2296831 by Amastan, translation #4457766 by danepo
- Il est à la maison.It's at home.This sentence is useful for stating that something is at home using à la maison.Tatoeba #2296835 by Amastan, translation #2249057 by CK
- Reste à la maison !Stay at home.This sentence is useful for giving a command to stay at home using à la maison.Tatoeba #8621503 by felix63, translation #591205 by CK
- Je vous invite chez moiI invite you to my home
- Il a reçu un courrier au domicile de sa grand-mèreHe received mail at his grandmother's home
- Viens chez moi ce soirCome to my place tonight
- Il est toujours à la maison le week-endHe is always at home on weekends
- 488 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan calls Emma to see if she is available.
- NathanSalut Emma, tu es à la maison ?Hi Emma, are you at home?
- EmmaOui, je suis à la maison.Yes, I am at home.
- NathanJe peux passer te voir ?Can I stop by to see you?
- EmmaBien sûr, viens !Of course, come over!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “at home” translations and entries à la maison, chez soi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chez, la, maison, soi, à, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
