Italian · Home, Clothes & Daily Life

"House" in Italian: casa

la casa

Say it: KAH-sahfeminine · la casanoun/ˈka.sa/

House in Italian is la casa (KAH-sah). It is a feminine noun, and it means both house and home, so Italian doesn't need a separate word for "home". To say "at home" or "home", drop the article: sono a casa, vado a casa.

Leaving the office

Io vado a casa, ci vediamo lunedì!
I'm heading home, see you Monday!
Practice Italian out loud

Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free

How to pronounce casa

Say it

KAH-sah

/ˈka.sa/

Casa has two short syllables, and you lean on the first: KAH-sah. Both a's are open, like the a in "father" said quickly. In northern Italy the s often sounds like a z (KAH-zah), and you will be understood either way.

"House" in Italian: quick reference

ItalianEnglish
la casahouse, home

The default word for the building and for the place you live.

a casaat home, home

No article: sono a casa (I'm at home), torno a casa (I'm going back home).

casa miamy place, my home

Very common in speech, with the possessive after the noun and no article.

l'appartamento (m)apartment, flat

Many Italians live in apartments but still call their home casa.

la villettadetached house

A small house with a garden, often on the edge of town.

How to use casa in real life

  1. 1Leaving the office

    Io vado a casa, ci vediamo lunedì!

    I'm heading home, see you Monday!

    Vado a casa means I'm going home. Never say vado alla casa.

  2. 2Inviting a friend over

    Vieni a cena a casa mia sabato?

    Do you want to come to dinner at my place on Saturday?

    Casa mia, with no article, is the everyday way to say "my place".

  3. 3Looking for a place to live

    Cerchiamo una casa con due camere da letto e un balcone.

    We're looking for a place with two bedrooms and a balcony.

    Una camera da letto is a bedroom. In a sentence like this, casa can mean a house or an apartment.

Mistakes English speakers make with casa

Incorrect: Sono alla casa.

Correct: Sono a casa.

"At home" is simply a casa, with no article. Someone else's home works the same way: sono a casa di Marco (I'm at Marco's).

Incorrect: Il casa è grande.

Correct: La casa è grande.

Casa ends in -a and is feminine, so it takes la. Adjectives agree too: una casa piccola, una casa nuova.

Good to know

Most Italian cities are full of apartment buildings, and people call their apartment casa just as they would a house. Many young Italians live with their parents into their late twenties or longer, often for economic reasons. When you are invited to someone's home, it's polite to bring a small gift, such as pastries, a bottle of wine, or flowers.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Showing a friend around your new home in Milan

  1. ChatPal

    Che bella casa! Da quanto tempo abiti qui?

    What a lovely home! How long have you lived here?

  2. You

    Da un mese. La casa è piccola, ma la cucina è grande.

    For a month. The place is small, but the kitchen is big.

  3. ChatPal

    E questa è la camera da letto? C'è anche un balcone!

    And is this the bedroom? There's even a balcony!

  4. You

    Sì! D'estate ceniamo fuori. Vieni a casa mia quando vuoi.

    Yes! In summer we have dinner outside. Come over to my place whenever you like.

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 Italian

Is casa masculine or feminine?

Casa is feminine: la casa, una casa. The plural is le case, ending in -e.

How do I say home in Italian?

Casa covers both house and home. For going home, say a casa: torno a casa alle sei (I get home at six). To feel at home is sentirsi a casa.

Why is it casa mia and not la mia casa?

Both are correct. Casa mia, with no article, is the warm, everyday way to say "my home" or "my place". La mia casa sounds a little more neutral, as when you describe the building.

Is it pronounced KAH-sah or KAH-zah?

Both are heard. KAH-sah is typical in Tuscany, Rome, and the south, and KAH-zah is common in the north. Italians understand both, so pick one and stay with it.

Learn a word, then use it out loud

  1. Step 1: See it in context
  2. Step 2: Say it out loud
  3. Step 3: Get feedback
  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

Keep reading

Ready to say it out loud?

ChatPal is a voice-first app for practicing real conversations in Italian. Try real scenarios and get personalized feedback on your speaking.

Start with 7 days free.