de retour chez soi
The English phrase back home is translated into French as de retour chez soi.
The phrase de retour chez soi is used as a general, impersonal expression meaning back home in a universal sense.
Meaning: Translations (adv)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of de retour (back/returned) and chez soi (at one's place/home).
How does it change in a sentence?
When speaking about yourself, you should replace the impersonal soi with moi to say de retour chez moi. When speaking to someone informally about their home, you replace soi with toi to say de retour chez toi. When speaking about a man's home, you replace soi with lui to say de retour chez lui.
Did you know?
- The French word chez is used so specifically for people that you can say chez le médecin to mean 'at the doctor's office' or chez le coiffeur for 'at the hairdresser'.
- The word chez is a distant relative of the English word 'case' in the sense of a container, as both trace back to the Latin word casa meaning 'house'.
- In daily conversation, a French speaker often avoids the phrase de retour chez soi entirely and simply says je suis rentré to signal they have arrived home.
Examples in context
- C'est bon d'être de retour chez soi.It's good to be back home.This sentence shows how to express that it is good to be back home using de retour chez soi.Tatoeba #12935510 by lbdx, translation #2544634 by CK
- C'est chouette d'être de retour chez soi.It's nice to be back home.This sentence uses de retour chez soi to say it is nice to be back home.Tatoeba #1099920 by sacredceltic, translation #1096388 by CK
- Qu'est-ce que ça fait d'être de retour chez soi ?How does it feel to be back home?This sentence uses de retour chez soi to ask how it feels to be back home.Tatoeba #820581 by sacredceltic, translation #569522 by darinmex
- Après une longue journée de travail, je suis toujours heureux de pouvoir retourner chez moi.After a long day at work, I am always happy to be able to go back home.
- Elle rentre à la maison tous les soirs à 18 heures précises.She comes back home every evening at exactly 6 o'clock.
- Ce soir, je rentre chez moi pour me détendre devant la télé.Tonight, I'm going back home to relax in front of the TV.
- Après mes vacances en France, je suis content de retourner chez moi et de retrouver mon chien.After my vacation in France, I am glad to go back home and see my dog again.
Example conversation
Léa and Gabriel are talking on the phone after Gabriel's long trip.
- LéaTu es enfin de retour chez toi ?Are you finally back home?
- GabrielOui, je suis de retour chez moi maintenant.Yes, I am back home now.
- LéaQuel soulagement d'être de retour chez soi !What a relief to be back home!
- GabrielC'est vrai, je me repose un peu.It's true, I'm resting a bit.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chez, de, retour, soi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
