Meaning & use
shifting house
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phraseIndian
the act of leaving your home and taking your things to live in a different one
Grammar: Used mainly in Indian and South Asian English; in other varieties say 'moving house'.
Shifting house is always stressful, especially with children.
We are shifting house next month, so the flat is full of boxes.
The cost of shifting house in the city has gone up again.
Common combinations
- shifting house
- They are shifting house because the rent is too high.
- the process of shifting house
- The process of shifting house took three days.
- shift house
- We plan to shift house before the school year starts.
Synonyms and how they differ
- moving house
- This is the usual phrase in British and American English; use it outside South Asia.
- relocation
- A more formal word for moving to a new place, often for work.
Word family
- shift verb
- In Indian English, to move from one home to another.
Commonly confused: shifting house or moving house?
shifting house vs moving house
This is the standard British and American phrase; 'shifting house' is regional to South Asia.
Practice
In standard British English, which phrase would you normally use instead of 'shifting house'?
Choose one answer.
'Moving house' is the usual British and American phrase. 'Shifting home' and 'house shifting' are not standard, and 'shifting to house' is ungrammatical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “shifting house”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.