6. Houses and homes
Our words
accommodation | a place to live, work or stay in | rented/temporary accommodation | majoitus |
aerial | a piece of equipment made of wire or long straight pieces of metal for receiving or sending radio and television signals | a forest of television aerials on the roofs | antenni |
a-frame | a house with very steep sides that meet at the top in the shape of the letter A | Does your house have A-frame? | a-kehys, a-katto |
alarm | a loud noise or a signal that warns people of danger or of a problem | She decided to sound the alarm | hälytys |
back door | the door at the back or side of a building | Do you have back door at your house? | taka-ovi |
bay window | a large window, usually with glass on three sides, that sticks out from the outside wall of a house | Do you have bay windows at your house? | ulokeikkuna, eikkeri |
burglar-alarm | an electronic device, often fixed to a wall, that rings a loud bell if somebody tries to enter a building by force | Burglar-alarm protects us | murtohälytys |
eviction | eviction (from something) the act of forcing somebody to leave a house or land, especially when you have the legal right to do so | to face eviction from your home | häätö |
downspout | a pipe that carries rainwater from the roof of a building to a drain | Do you have downspout at your house? | viemäriputki |
gasometer | a very large round container or building in which gas is stored and from which it is sent through pipes to other buildings | Do you have gasometer at your house? | kaasusäiliö |
arrears | money that somebody owes that they have not paid at the right time | rent/mortgage/tax arrears | maksurästit |
fireplace | an open space for a fire in the wall of a room | A log fire crackled in the fireplace. | takka |
entrance | a door, gate, passage, etc. used for entering a room, building or place | the front/back/side entrance of the house | sisäänkäynti |
decoration | a thing that makes something look more attractive on special occasions | Christmas/festive decorations | koriste |
dresser | a large piece of wooden furniture with shelves in the top part and cupboards below, used for displaying and storing cups, plates, etc | I put the kettle on and took two cups and saucers down from the dresser. | lipasto |
exchange | to give something to somebody and at the same time receive the same type of thing from them | exchange something to exchange news/information | vaihto |
duplex | (of a flat) with rooms on two floors | a duplex apartment | kaksikerroksinen |
broom-cupboard | a large built-in cupboard used for keeping cleaning equipment, etc. in | There's a broom cupboard under the stairs. | siivouskaappi |
to gazunder | to offer a lower price for a house that you have already agreed to buy at a higher price, before the contract is signed | The vendors were gazundered at the last minute. | katsomaan |
free standing | not supported by or attached to anything | a free-standing sculpture | vapaasti seisova |
igloo | a small round house or shelter built from blocks of hard snow by the Inuit people of northern North America and Greenland | I have never seen igloo | iglu |
rental | the amount of money that you pay to use something for a particular period of time | Telephone charges include line rental. | vuokraus |
pattern | the regular way in which something happens or is done | changing patterns of urban life | kuvio |
hammock | a type of bed made from a net or from a piece of strong material, with ropes at each end that are used to hang it between two trees, posts, etc. | Can we buy hammock please? | riippumatto |
sweep | to clean a room, surface, etc. using a broom (= a type of brush on a long handle) | Chimneys should be swept regularly. | lakaista |
partition | a wall or screen that separates one part of a room from another | The cafe was divided up by glass partitions. | väliseinä |
squatter | a person who is living in a building or on land without permission and without paying rent | The squatters were evicted by bailiffs on Tuesday. | asunnonvaltaaja |
roomie | a person that you share a room with, especially at a college or university | I have such a nice roomie | huonetoveri |
socket | a device in a wall that you put a plug into in order to connect electrical equipment to the power supply of a building | The battery charger plugs into any mains socket. | pistorasia |
washbasin | a large bowl that has taps and is fixed to the wall in a bathroom, used for washing your hands and face in | She filled the washbasin with warm soapy water. | pesuallas |