las casas
A1Neutral to formal
Definition
Meaning
The plural of 'house', referring to multiple dwelling buildings or structures where people live.
Can also refer to legislative bodies (e.g., Houses of Parliament), institutions (e.g., publishing houses), or families/dynasties (e.g., House of Tudor).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
While 'houses' is the standard plural, context determines whether it refers to physical buildings or abstract institutions.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In UK politics, 'the Houses' often specifically refers to the Houses of Parliament. US usage less frequently uses 'houses' in this institutional sense outside of 'House of Representatives'.
Connotations
In British English, may carry stronger institutional connotations; in American English, more often purely residential.
Frequency
Higher frequency in UK English in political/administrative contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Verb] + houses (e.g., construct houses)[Adjective] + houses (e.g., residential houses)[Preposition] + houses (e.g., among the houses)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.”
- “Safe as houses.”
- “Bring the house down.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to property development, real estate assets.
Academic
In history/sociology: housing studies, domestic architecture.
Everyday
Discussing neighborhoods, property, living arrangements.
Technical
In construction/architecture: building specifications, housing types.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The council plans to house the families in new builds.
- The museum houses an impressive collection.
American English
- The development will house over 500 residents.
- The building houses several startups.
adjective
British English
- We're looking for a house painter.
- They attended a house party.
American English
- He's a house manager for the theater.
- We need house keys made.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- There are many red houses on my street.
- The children walked past the big houses.
- The new houses in the estate are more energy-efficient.
- They looked at several houses before making an offer.
- The government initiative aims to build affordable houses for young families.
- The historic houses in the old town have been preserved as museums.
- The architectural styles of the houses reflected the socio-economic changes of the era.
- Investors acquired a portfolio of residential houses across the southeast.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
"HOW ZIZ?" – Imagine asking 'How is this house?' for multiple houses.
Conceptual Metaphor
HOUSES ARE CONTAINERS (for families, memories, activities).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating as 'дома́' when referring to legislative bodies – use specific terms like 'палаты'.
- Don't confuse with 'home' (больше о чувстве) vs 'house' (здание).
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect pronunciation: /ˈhaʊsɪz/ instead of /ˈhaʊzɪz/.
- Using singular verb with plural 'houses' (e.g., 'The houses is...').
Practice
Quiz
In which context does 'houses' NOT typically refer to residential buildings?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It's pronounced with a 'z' sound: /ˈhaʊzɪz/. The singular 'house' ends with /s/, but the plural adds -es and voices the final consonant.
'Houses' refers specifically to the physical buildings. 'Homes' emphasizes the personal, emotional, or family space within them.
Yes, the verb 'to house' means to provide accommodation or space for someone/something. Its third person singular present form is 'houses' (pronounced /ˈhaʊzɪz/).
This is an institutional or dynastic use (e.g., House of Windsor). It treats the 'house' as a single entity representing a family, company, or institution, even if it contains many people/branches.