Meaning & use
house shifting
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Meanings
noununcountableIndian
The process of moving all your furniture and belongings from one home to another.
Grammar: Uncountable: say 'house shifting is expensive', not 'a house shifting'.
Patterns
- house shifting services
- the cost of house shifting
- do house shifting
We hired a company to handle the house shifting.
House shifting can be stressful when you have a lot of furniture.
The cost of house shifting depends on the distance and the number of boxes.
noununcountableIndianbusiness
The business or service of transporting household goods for people who are moving home.
Grammar: Often used before another noun: 'house shifting company', 'house shifting charges'.
Patterns
- a house shifting company
- house shifting charges
- offer house shifting services
Several house shifting companies advertise lower rates during the summer.
They provide packing and house shifting services across the city.
Common combinations
- house shifting services
- The website lists house shifting services for local moves.
- house shifting charges
- Ask about house shifting charges before you sign the contract.
- house shifting company
- A house shifting company packed all our dishes in one day.
- the cost of house shifting
- The cost of house shifting went up because we moved far away.
Synonyms and how they differ
- moving
- This is the usual American and British word for changing homes; 'house shifting' is mainly Indian English.
- relocation
- This is more formal and often used for job-related moves, not just moving furniture.
- removal
- In British English, 'removal' can mean the service of moving furniture, but it sounds old-fashioned in everyday speech.
Word family
- shift verb
- To move something from one place to another.
- shifting noun
- The act of moving or changing position.
Commonly confused: house shifting or housewarming? house shifting or house-sitting?
house shifting vs housewarming
A housewarming is a party to celebrate moving into a new home, not the move itself.
house shifting vs house-sitting
House-sitting means staying in someone's home while they are away, not moving your own belongings.
Practice
In Indian English, 'house shifting' is closest in meaning to ______.
Choose one answer.
'House shifting' means moving your home and belongings. It does not mean building, cleaning, or sharing a house.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “house shifting”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.