bienvenue chez moi
The English phrase "welcome to my house" is translated into French as bienvenue chez moi.
This phrase is a greeting used to welcome someone who has just arrived at the speaker's home.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, bienvenue chez moi means "welcome at my place" or "welcome at my home".
How does it change in a sentence?
In this specific context, bienvenue is used as an interjection and remains in its feminine singular form regardless of who is being welcomed. The preposition chez is used to indicate a person's home or place of business, making it more natural than using à ma maison.
What mistakes should you avoid?
While bienvenue à ma maison is grammatically possible, it sounds unnatural to native speakers. chez moi is the standard way to express "at my house/place".
Did you know?
- In Canada, the word bienvenue is sometimes used to mean 'you are welcome' after someone says thank you. This usage is a recent loan from English and is not found in France.
Examples in context
- Bienvenue dans ma maison ! Merci d'avoir accepté mon invitation. Installez-vous confortablement.Welcome to my house! Thank you for accepting my invitation. Please make yourself comfortable.
- Faites comme chez vous ! Profitez de votre séjour en famille.Make yourself at home! Enjoy your family stay.
- Enfin, bienvenue chez moi.Finally, welcome to my place.
- Entrez, et bienvenue chez moi.Come in, and welcome to my home.
Example conversation
Hugo arrives at Chloé's apartment for a dinner party.
- ChloéSalut Hugo, bienvenue chez moi !Hi Hugo, welcome to my house!
- HugoMerci Chloé, ton appartement est magnifique.Thanks Chloé, your apartment is beautiful.
- ChloéC'est gentil, entre donc.That's kind, do come in.
- HugoMerci de m'accueillir.Thanks for having me.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bienvenue, chez, moi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
