We always say “go home”, “stay home”, “get home”, “come home”, “leave home”, etc. (without “the”) to refer to the place where we live.
When talking about the place where we live, we always say “go home”, “stay home”, “get home”, “come home”, “leave home”, etc. (without “the”).
I’d like to go home early today.
Called by their mother, the children hurried home.
You can also use the word home with other meanings, for example, to mention an animal habitat or the place where something was first discovered or developed. In such a situation, use the article “the” according to the usual rules.
Detroit is the home of the automobile industry.
India is the home of tigers and elephants.
1. When to Omit the Article
When talking about the place where one lives permanently, omit the article “a” or “the” before the word home.
She went home early.
She went to the home early.
When will you come home?
Follow the same practice with other related expressions:
- Stay home
- Get home
- Be home
- Go home
- Come home
- Leave home
- Hurry home
- Arrive home
- etc.
We didn’t get home until midnight.
When the boy arrived home, he told his father what had happened.
Olivia hurried home as fast as she could.
Similarly, drop the article when using “home” to refer to your town, region, or country.
Chicago will always be home to me.
I missed home after the first few months of being abroad.
However, you can use a possessive pronoun (my, your, his, her, our, their) or another determiner (another, this, that, etc.) before "home".
Rebecca usually comes to our home on Fridays.
David might be forced to search for another home.
Thus, don’t refer to a particular person's home as “the home”. Say “her home”, “their home”, “his home”, or just “home”.
I went to his home.
Susan is selling her home in San Francisco.
Her husband left home.
2. When to Use the Article (a/the) Before Home
You can add the article a/the before “home” in other contexts; for example, you can use it:
- To speak about the place where a particular group of people, plant, or animal lives—habitat (e.g., “Australia is the home of the kangaroo.”)
- To discuss the place where something was first discovered, made, or developed (e.g., “Mississippi is the home of the blues.”)
- To refer to a residence (e.g., “Olivia and John have a second home on the Mediterranean.”)
- As a synonym of headquarters or main office (e.g., “Detroit is the home of General Motors.”)
- To mention an institution (e.g., “My uncle is living in an old peoples' home.”)
The word home can also serve as an adjective. In this situation, use the article “a”, “an”, or “the” according to the usual rules.
The home team won the game.
The information can be found on the home page of the website.
