Make yourself at home is a friendly way of telling a guest to relax and feel comfortable in your home. It shows that they can sit wherever they like and don't need to be shy. The phrase is warm and polite, and people say it at home, in a student flat or at the office to a new colleague. To several guests, say make yourselves at home.
When would you say make yourself at home?
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Make yourself at home. (to a guest); make yourselves at home (to several guests); feel at home (describes a feeling)
- Come in and make yourself at home. The kettle is on, and there are biscuits on the table.
- Our host family told us to make ourselves at home, so we cooked dinner for everyone on Saturday.
- Welcome to the team! Make yourself at home, and ask me if you need anything.
What changed
First versionCome in, take off your coat and feel yourself at home.
RevisionCome in, take off your coat and make yourself at home.
Feel yourself at home is not an English phrase: it mixes up make yourself at home and feel at home. The welcome formula uses make. If you want to use feel, drop yourself: I hope you feel at home here. The only change in the corrected sentence is feel to make.
Make yourself at home is an invitation, said to a guest when they arrive. Feel at home describes the feeling of being comfortable and belonging somewhere: After two months in Leeds, I finally feel at home. So about yourself you say I feel at home, and to a guest you say make yourself at home.
Your turn
When my new colleague came to dinner, I opened the door and said, 'Come in and ___.'
Show the answer
make yourself at home — You are welcoming your colleague at the door and inviting them to relax, and English has a ready-made phrase for this: make yourself at home. Feel yourself at home mixes up make yourself at home and feel at home, and English speakers don't say it.
Imagine a guest is visiting you for the first time: a friend, a colleague or an exchange student. Write what you would say at the door: invite them to make themselves comfortable and offer something specific, such as tea or a place to leave their things.
Hi, come in and make yourself at home! You can leave your bag here, and I'll put the kettle on for some tea.
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