French · Home, Clothes & Daily Life
"House" in French: maison
la maison
House in French is la maison (meh-ZOHN). It is feminine, and it also means "home": je rentre à la maison means "I'm going home". For a flat, French uses l'appartement instead.
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On cherche une maison avec un jardin près de Rennes.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce maison
Say it
meh-ZOHN
/mɛ.zɔ̃/
The ai sounds like the e in "bed", and the s between two vowels sounds like a z. The final on is a nasal vowel, with no n sound. Put a light stress on the end: meh-ZOHN.
"House" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| la maison | house, home A house as a building, or home in general. | A house as a building, or home in general. |
| à la maison | at home, home Where you are or where you're going: je suis à la maison. | Where you are or where you're going: je suis à la maison. |
| chez moi | at my place, home Works for any home, including an apartment. | Works for any home, including an apartment. |
| la maison de campagne | country house A second home in the countryside, often for weekends and holidays. | A second home in the countryside, often for weekends and holidays. |
| fait maison | homemade On menus and bakery labels: made on site, not bought in. | On menus and bakery labels: made on site, not bought in. |
How to use maison in real life
- 1Looking for a place to live
On cherche une maison avec un jardin près de Rennes.
We're looking for a house with a garden near Rennes.
Une maison avec jardin is a common search phrase on property websites.
- 2Leaving the office
Il est tard, je rentre à la maison.
It's late, I'm going home.
Rentrer means going back home. You can also say je rentre chez moi.
- 3Reading a café menu
Tous nos desserts sont faits maison.
All our desserts are homemade.
Fait maison tells you the dish was made in the restaurant's own kitchen.
Mistakes English speakers make with maison
Incorrect: J'habite dans un maison.
Correct: J'habite dans une maison.
Maison is feminine, so use une and la. Adjectives agree too: une grande maison.
Incorrect: Tu viens à ma maison ce soir ?
Correct: Tu viens chez moi ce soir ?
For "to my place" or "at my house", French uses chez plus a person: chez moi, chez toi, chez Paul.
Good to know
In big French cities like Paris and Lyon, most people live in apartments, so une maison usually suggests the suburbs, a village, or the countryside. Many families also keep a maison de campagne or spend holidays at their grandparents' house. On menus, fait maison is a sign of pride, and many restaurants display it.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Visiting a house for rent near Nantes
ChatPal
Bienvenue ! La maison a trois chambres et un petit jardin.
Welcome! The house has three bedrooms and a small garden.
You
Elle est très jolie. La cuisine est au rez-de-chaussée ?
It's very pretty. Is the kitchen on the ground floor?
ChatPal
Oui, à côté du salon. La salle de bain est à l'étage.
Yes, next to the living room. The bathroom is upstairs.
You
Parfait. Et le loyer de la maison, c'est combien par mois ?
Perfect. And how much is the rent for the house per month?
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"House" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "House" in French
Is maison masculine or feminine?
Maison is feminine: la maison, une maison, ma maison. When you refer back to it, use elle: la maison est grande, elle a un jardin.
How do you say "at home" in French?
Say à la maison or chez moi: je suis à la maison, je travaille chez moi. Chez moi works whether you live in a house or an apartment.
What does fait maison mean?
It means homemade, or made on site. You will see it on menus and in bakeries to show that a dish was cooked there, not bought ready-made.
How do you pronounce maison?
Say meh-ZOHN. The s sounds like a z because it sits between two vowels, and the n at the end is silent: it only makes the vowel nasal. The plural maisons sounds the same.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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