A casa
At home
Phrase in 30 Seconds
Use 'a casa' to say you are at home or going home without using an article.
- Means: Being at or moving toward your own residence.
- Used in: Daily updates, finishing work, or inviting friends over.
- Don't confuse: Avoid saying 'alla casa' when referring to your own home.
Explanation at your level:
Signification
Being at one's residence.
Contexte culturel
The 'casa' is the ultimate social hub. Being invited for a 'spaghettata' at someone's home is a sign of deep trust. In the South, 'casa' often refers to the extended family building where multiple generations might live on different floors. Due to economic factors, many Italians live 'a casa' with parents until their 30s, leading to a strong bond with the family home. Many famous Italian films use 'casa' in the title to evoke feelings of family drama or nostalgia.
The No-Article Rule
Just remember: Home is where the 'LA' isn't. Never say 'alla casa' for your own home.
Possessive Placement
Always put 'mia', 'tua', or 'sua' AFTER 'casa' in this phrase. 'A casa mia' sounds native; 'A mia casa' sounds like a translation.
Signification
Being at one's residence.
The No-Article Rule
Just remember: Home is where the 'LA' isn't. Never say 'alla casa' for your own home.
Possessive Placement
Always put 'mia', 'tua', or 'sua' AFTER 'casa' in this phrase. 'A casa mia' sounds native; 'A mia casa' sounds like a translation.
State vs. Motion
Don't overthink the preposition. 'A' works for both 'at' and 'to'. It's your all-in-one home preposition.
Teste-toi
Fill in the blank with the correct form (do not use an article).
Stasera non esco, resto ___.
'Resto a casa' is the standard way to say 'I'm staying home'.
Which sentence is correct?
How do you say 'I am going to my house'?
In the phrase 'a casa', the possessive adjective follows the noun.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Dove sei? B: Sto tornando ___.
'Tornare a casa' is the standard expression for returning home.
Match the phrase to the situation.
You want to tell your boss you are working from your residence today.
'Da casa' means 'from home', used for remote work.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Questions fréquentes
5 questionsIn Italian, certain common locations like 'casa', 'scuola', and 'teatro' drop the article when used with the preposition 'a'. It's a linguistic shortcut for familiar places.
Yes, but it's less common. It emphasizes that you are inside the building (perhaps hiding from rain) rather than just being 'at home'.
You say 'Vado a casa di [nome]'. For example: 'Vado a casa di Marco'.
It's neutral. You can use it with your boss or your best friend. In very formal documents, you might see 'presso la propria residenza'.
Both! Italian uses 'a' for both location and destination. Context tells you which one it is.
Expressions liées
Sentirsi a casa
similarTo feel at home
Casalingo
builds onHomemade / Housewife / Househusband
Fuori casa
contrastAway from home
Rincasare
specialized formTo return home
Où l'utiliser
Leaving the office
Collega: Ciao Marco, vai già via?
Marco: Sì, vado a casa. Sono stanco.
Inviting a date
Giulia: Ti va di bere un bicchiere di vino?
Luca: Certo, andiamo a casa mia o al bar?
On the phone with parents
Mamma: Pronto? Dove sei?
Figlio: Sono appena tornato a casa, mamma.
Ordering food
Cliente: Vorrei una pizza Margherita.
Pizzeria: Mangia qui o la portiamo a casa?
Feeling sick at school
Studente: Professore, non mi sento bene.
Professore: Va bene, allora vai a casa a riposare.
Arriving at a party
Ospite: Grazie per l'invito!
Proprietario: Prego! Fai come se fossi a casa tua.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of the 'A' in 'A casa' as an Arrow pointing to your house. You don't need a 'LA' (map) because you already know the way home!
Visual Association
Imagine a cozy Italian kitchen with a warm bowl of pasta on the table. Above the door, there is a sign that just says 'A CASA'. No extra words, just the destination.
Rhyme
Se vuoi stare in allegria, resta a casa mia!
Story
Marco is tired after a long day in Rome. He looks at the Colosseum and says 'Bello, ma voglio andare a casa'. He walks through his front door, sighs with relief, and says 'Finalmente a casa'. He doesn't need a map (the article 'la'), he just needs the feeling of being there.
Word Web
Défi
For the next 5 minutes, every time you think about your physical location, say 'Sono a casa' or 'Non sono a casa' in your head.
In Other Languages
En casa / A casa
Spanish uses 'en' for location, Italian uses 'a'.
À la maison / Chez moi
French requires an article or 'chez'.
Zu Hause / Nach Hause
German has two different phrases for state and motion.
家で (Ie de) / 家に (Ie ni)
Japanese uses particles instead of prepositions.
في البيت (Fil-bayt)
Arabic requires the definite article.
在家 (Zài jiā)
Chinese has no articles or prepositions in the Western sense.
집에 (Jibe)
Korean uses agglutinative particles.
Em casa / Para casa
Portuguese uses 'em' for location.
Easily Confused
Learners use it to mean 'at home'.
Use 'a casa' for the concept of home, and 'in casa' for being physically inside.
Adding the article 'la'.
Remember that 'home' is so special it doesn't need an article in Italian.
FAQ (5)
In Italian, certain common locations like 'casa', 'scuola', and 'teatro' drop the article when used with the preposition 'a'. It's a linguistic shortcut for familiar places.
Yes, but it's less common. It emphasizes that you are inside the building (perhaps hiding from rain) rather than just being 'at home'.
You say 'Vado a casa di [nome]'. For example: 'Vado a casa di Marco'.
It's neutral. You can use it with your boss or your best friend. In very formal documents, you might see 'presso la propria residenza'.
Both! Italian uses 'a' for both location and destination. Context tells you which one it is.
