bungalow
B2informal to neutral
Definition
Meaning
A low, single-story house, typically small and often with a veranda.
A one-floor dwelling, originally implying a detached, modest, or vacation-style home, but can also refer to any single-story residence.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Emphasizes the single-story aspect; historically associated with colonial architecture and leisure, but now a general housing type.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In the UK, 'bungalow' is a very common and specific term for any single-story detached or semi-detached house, often occupied by retirees. In the US, it often describes a specific style of small, one-story house, sometimes with Craftsman or cottage-style features.
Connotations
UK: Often connotes retirement homes, accessibility, and suburban living. US: Often connotes a small, quaint, sometimes historic or vacation-style house.
Frequency
The term is far more frequent and standard in UK English than in US English, where 'ranch house' or simply 'one-story house' might be more common for modern homes.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[They] live in a bungalow.The bungalow [has] a large garden.It's a [adjective] bungalow.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “['bungalow'] itself is not part of common idioms, but appears in phrases like 'bungalow bliss' (referring to suburban life).”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in real estate listings and property development contexts.
Academic
Rare; might appear in architectural history, urban planning, or sociology texts discussing housing types.
Everyday
Common in descriptions of where someone lives or holidays.
Technical
Used in architecture and building regulations to specify a dwelling type.
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- The bungalow style is popular here.
American English
- They preferred a bungalow aesthetic.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My grandparents live in a small bungalow.
- We rented a bungalow by the sea for our holiday.
- After his knee surgery, he moved into a bungalow because stairs were difficult.
- The property developer plans to build six new bungalows on that land.
- The post-war expansion of British suburbs was characterized by endless rows of semi-detached bungalows.
- They opted for a Californian bungalow design, with its distinctive low-pitched roof and exposed beams.
- Critics of urban sprawl often deride the proliferation of bungalows as an inefficient use of land, championing higher-density housing instead.
- The architect's modern interpretation of the traditional bungalow seamlessly integrated indoor and outdoor living spaces.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'BUNG' something down low on the ground + 'ALOW' (sounds like 'a low' building) = a low bungalow.
Conceptual Metaphor
LOW is SIMPLE/ACCESSIBLE (as a bungalow has no stairs).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Not 'бунгало' (which often refers specifically to a small holiday hut or beach cabin in Russian). The English 'bungalow' is broader and can be a permanent, well-built house. Avoid using 'одноэтажный дом' in reverse translation for a stylistically distinct bungalow.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing it with a 'cottage' (which can have an upstairs). Using it for any small house regardless of stories (e.g., a two-story terraced house is not a bungalow).
Practice
Quiz
Which feature is most essential for a house to be called a bungalow?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not necessarily. While often modest, bungalows can be quite large and spacious, spreading out horizontally. The defining feature is the single story, not the size.
It comes from Hindi 'bangla', meaning 'of Bengal', referring to a type of cottage built for early European settlers in India, characterized by being low and having a veranda.
Yes. In the UK, it's a standard, very common term for any one-story house. In the US, it more specifically refers to a style of one-story house, often from the early 20th century (like a Craftsman bungalow), and the generic term 'one-story house' is often used instead.
Yes, a bungalow can have a basement (below ground) or a non-habitable attic space for storage. The key is that all main living areas (bedrooms, living room, kitchen) are on one primary floor above ground.