nhà
[ɲaː˨˩]
In Vietnamese, the word for home is nhà. Wiktionary also lists chỗ ở and gia đình.
Meaning: house or structure in which someone lives (noun)
Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| nhà | [ɲaː˨˩] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ɲaː˦˩] (Huế, narrow) |
| chỗ ở | [t͡ɕo˦ˀ˥ ʔəː˧˩] (Hà Nội, narrow) [t͡ɕow˧˨ ʔəː˧˨] (Huế, narrow) |
| gia đình | [zaː˧˧ ʔɗïŋ˨˩] (Hà Nội, narrow) [jaː˧˧ ʔɗɨn˦˩] (Huế, narrow) |
| nhà ở | [ɲaː˨˩ ʔəː˧˩] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ɲaː˦˩ ʔəː˧˨] (Huế, narrow) |
| nhà cửa | [ɲaː˨˩ kɨə˧˩] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ɲaː˦˩ kɨə˧˨] (Huế, narrow) |
The term nhà is used both as a noun meaning 'house' and as a location marker in phrases like ở nhà (at home).
What does it mean word for word?
The term nhà cửa is a compound word where nhà (house) is paired with cửa (door) to refer to 'houses' or 'dwellings' in a general, collective sense.
Which one should you use?
While nhà refers to the physical house or the concept of home, gia đình refers to the family unit that makes up a home. The term nhà mình is an informal way to say 'home' that emphasizes a sense of belonging. Chỗ ở is a more formal or administrative term for 'place of residence' or 'accommodation' compared to the everyday nhà.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say someone is 'at home' or 'staying home', you use the verb ở (to stay/be at) followed by nhà.
Did you know?
- The word nhà is used as a title for experts, much like the English suffix '-ist'. For example, a scientist is called a nhà khoa học.
- The word đình in the term for family, gia đình, originally referred to a pavilion or a place of rest in Chinese.
Examples in context
- Tom nên ở nhà.Tom should stay home.This sentence shows how to use nhà to express staying at home.Tatoeba #13173184 by leucammieuvu, translation #12520704 by CK
- Gọi về nhà đi!Call home!This sentence shows how to use nhà when telling someone to call home.Tatoeba #13339717 by leucammieuvu, translation #1730009 by CK
- Tôi đang ở nhà.I am at home.This sentence shows how to use nhà to state that someone is currently at home.Tatoeba #4786144 by tucm, translation #29049 by CK
- Chúng tôi sống ở nhà này.We live in this house.
- Anh ấy đang quét nhà.He is sweeping the house.
- Nhà cửa của tôi không lớn.My home is not big.
- Đây là nơi ở của tôi.This is my home.
- Anh ta đang tìm kiếm một nơi ở mới.He is looking for a new home.
- Hôm nay tôi ở nhà mình.Today, I am at home.
- Con cái chúng tôi chưa trở về nhà mình.Our children haven't come back home yet.
- 193 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Tuấn and Mai are walking past a new building.
- MaiCái nhà kia lớn quá, Tuấn ơi!That house is so big, Tuấn!
- TuấnĐúng vậy, ngôi nhà đó rất sang trọng.That's right, that house is very luxurious.
- MaiTôi muốn có một căn nhà như vậy.I want to have a house like that.
- TuấnMai sẽ sớm có được thôi.Mai will have one soon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “home” translations and entries nhà, chỗ ở, gia đình, nhà ở, nhà cửa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chỗ ở, gia, gia đình, nhà, đình, ở, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
