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- "Ist jemand zu Hause?"
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Usually "zu" means "to" or "too." But in this case it's part of a very specific phrase — "zu Hause" means "at home". It's the sister of "nach Hause," which you use if you're going home (Ich gehe nach Hause). Best just to memorize those two, since literal translations don't make any sense.
I agree, this word is becoming more and more ambiguous every time it pops up in this subject.
little late, but the word for "home" is literally "Zuhause", so think if it like "Is anyone home"
"Haus" just means "house," but this phrase is uses "home" which is a completely different word. "Zu Hause" as a whole means "(at) home" and for when you're going "[to] home" it's "nach Hause."
The -e ending is the old dative-case ending.
It dropped off from most words but was kept in some fixed expressions including nach Hause and zu Hause. (But we say e.g. in einem Haus and not usually in einem Hause.)
Such idioms often preserve old grammar and vocabulary that is otherwise not in use.
I agree with you, because someone is used in affirmative sentences, but for interrogative sentences and negative you have to use ANYONE OR ANYBODY
I guess you learn something new every day! I never knew that rule before and I know that I've heard things like "Is someone there?" before.
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Actually I would disagree (for the English translation). I don't know if it's grammatically correct but in a conversation it is perfectly likely and acceptable to hear 'is someone at home?' Yesterday, for example, a family member was coordinating a move and organising a van to go to the house, they needed someone to be there to accept delivery and indeed said 'is someone at home?' It was quite a specific question, it was emphasising the importance that someone should be there, else the plan would go to pot. I bellieve that 'someone' CAN be used in this case and it is emphatic.
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In english for questions, instead of using 'some' you should (I would say MUST) used 'any'
Some-/any- in questions is subject to colloquial variation but negatives definitely prefer any-. "Did we get some/any?" "No, we didn't get any". Positives prefer some- "Yes, we got some" Any in a question may imply need versus want for some: "Did we get some? (Because it would be nice if we did)" "Did we get any? (Because it is important that we did)" But even with that, emphasis can allow any/some to be interchangable in that context.
Every one should see this Very very important for who wants to speak German fluency. http://leicht-deutsch-lernen.com/do-not-focus-too-much-on-grammar-rules
Yep. Zu Hause means at home. You use nach Hause if you're going home. (Ich gehe nach Hause.)
why the definite article "das" (in its dative forme) doesn't exist after zu like in other examples ?
Because it's not really the same word as "Haus" in this sentence. The whole phrase "zu Hause" means "home." There's also another phrase like this, "nach Hause," which is used when you say that you're going home (as opposed to already being there).
I think that in the US we would someone a bit more in the context now, at least in the areas where there are many Spanish speakers.
I typed in the exact correct answer, and then it says I missed a wored but all I did is forget ONE space!?!?
"is anyone home" is not accepted and somehow the ability to mark my answer correct is not an option under report for this question...
It is accepted in a translation exercise.
Did you have a listening exercise, perhaps?
Then I don't know what might have happened.
If this happens again, a link to a screenshot would be helpful.
It would be the good if the Duolingo dictionary included 'nach Hause' and 'zu Hause' in the examples. Right now you can look up Hause and it says it means either home or house, but none of the examples actually use Hause.
Why can't be like 'bei haus'
And why can't we say "I am still by home" in English, or "I am still in home", instead of "at home".
The answer is the same: preposition usage is mostly arbitrary, not "logical". It's just something you have to learn.
No -- this is a fixed expression which has kept the old dative ending -e.
Every one should see this Very very important for who wants to speak German fluency. http://leicht-deutsch-lernen.com/do-not-focus-too-much-on-grammar-rules
