A place to rest, to be yourself, to feel safe—Germans call that your Zuhause. It’s more than just a house or apartment. It’s where you belong.

The noun Zuhause means home (as in one’s personal, emotional place of living), and it’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German. You’ll hear it in everyday conversation, emotional speeches, cozy advertising slogans, and even philosophical discussions.

It’s a neuter noun, so we say das Zuhause.

Pronunciation

Zuhause is pronounced [tsoo-HOW-zuh].

• The “zu” sounds like “zoo,”
• The “hause” sounds like “house-uh,”
• The stress is on the second syllable: zu-HAU-se.

It’s warm, soft, and intimate—just like what it describes.

Example sentences:

• Nach einem langen Tag freue ich mich auf mein Zuhause.
  After a long day, I look forward to being home.
• Er hat endlich ein neues Zuhause gefunden.
  He finally found a new home.

Nuance and usage tips

Zuhause is closely related to Haus (house), but the emotional difference is huge:

• Haus = the physical building
• Zuhause = where your life happens, where you feel safe and rooted

You can also use it in abstract or symbolic ways:

• Du bist mein Zuhause. – “You are my home.”
• Kein richtiges Zuhause haben – to feel adrift or disconnected

Its antonym could be Fremde (foreignness, feminine) or Obdachlosigkeit (homelessness, feminine).

Grammatical case examples:

• Nominative: Das Zuhause der Familie war gemütlich und hell.
  The family’s home was cozy and bright.
• Accusative: Ich vermisse mein Zuhause.
  I miss my home.
• Dative: Mit dem neuen Zuhause kam auch neues Glück.
  With the new home came new happiness.
• Genitive: Wegen des alten Zuhauses war der Abschied schwer.
  Because of the old home, the farewell was hard.

Neuter case pattern: das, das, dem, des

Word variations and language tidbits

Variation Station:

• nach Hause gehen – to go home (note: here it’s Haus, not Zuhause)
• zu Hause sein – to be at home (note the space!)
• Zuhause finden – to find a home (emotionally or physically)
• Heimat – “homeland” (a more emotional, national, or cultural concept)
• Obdach – shelter (used in legal/formal contexts)

Fun usage note:
Grammatically, Zuhause behaves like a noun, but zu Hause (with a space) is also a common adverbial phrase meaning “at home.” Example:

Ich bin zu Hause. – I’m at home.
Mein Zuhause ist klein, aber fein. – My home is small, but lovely.

📘 Duden entry: https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Zuhause

🎥 Learn Zuhause and the rest of the top 1000 German nouns in our free online video course:
https://deutschable.com/nouns/

Alternate translations note:
For home as a feeling of belonging, Zuhause is the perfect word. For homeland, Germans might say Heimat. For shelter, you’d use Obdach. But for the place you return to, the space that’s truly yours—Zuhause is the word that holds your heart.

Ready for more German words of the day? Do you know what Wunder means? How about Arsch? Find out!