willkommen in meinem Haus
The English phrase 'welcome to my house' is translated into German as willkommen in meinem Haus.
This phrase is a greeting used to make a guest feel glad to be in your home. While it is grammatically correct, using Willkommen in meinem Haus can sound slightly formal or dramatic in German, often used when emphasizing the physical structure of the home.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'welcome in my house' because German uses the preposition 'in' rather than 'to' for this expression.
Which one should you use?
Depending on the situation, you may choose different forms. Willkommen bei mir zu Hause is a more natural and common way to say 'welcome to my home' in everyday German. For a more informal approach, you can use Willkommen bei mir daheim, which means 'Welcome at my place/home'.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase willkommen in meinem Haus, the word meinem is the dative masculine form of mein because the preposition 'in' requires the dative case when describing a static location.
Did you know?
- While willkommen is a greeting today, its Old High German ancestor willechomen literally meant 'to come with a good will'.
- Using the phrase willkommen in meinem Haus can sound like a line from a fairy tale or a fantasy novel welcoming a hero to a castle.
- In German, there is a conceptual distinction between Haus, which refers to the physical building, and Heim or zu Hause, which refers to the emotional feeling of home.
Examples in context
- Willkommen in meinem Haus! Darf ich dir einen Kaffee anbieten?Welcome to my house! Can I offer you a coffee?
- Willkommen bei mir daheim! Fühl dich wie zu Hause!Welcome to my place! Make yourself at home!
- Willkommen in meinem Haus, bitte komm doch rein!Welcome to my house, please come in!
- Ein herzliches Willkommen in meinem Haus!A heartfelt welcome to my house!
- Schön, dass du da bist, willkommen in meinem Haus.It is nice that you are here, welcome to my house.
Example conversation
Maximilian opens the front door for Sarah.
- MaximilianHallo Sarah, willkommen in meinem Haus!Hello Sarah, welcome to my house!
- SarahVielen Dank für die Einladung.Thank you very much for the invitation.
- MaximilianBitte komm erst einmal rein.Please come inside first.
- SarahDu hast ein sehr schönes Heim.You have a very beautiful home.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Haus, in, willkommen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
