das  Mehrfamilienhaus

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈmeːɐ̯faˌmiːli̯ənˌhaʊs/

🏠 What exactly is a Mehrfamilienhaus?

A Mehrfamilienhaus is a residential building designed for multiple separate parties (families, shared flats, or individuals) and features distinct housing units (Wohnungen or apartments). This distinguishes it from an Einfamilienhaus, which contains only one housing unit.

It's a compound noun:

• mehr: adverb, meaning 'more' or 'multiple' here
• Familien: noun, plural of Familie (family)
• Haus: noun, neuter gender (das Haus - the house)

Because the last part of the compound noun ("Haus") is neuter and determines the gender, the correct form is das Mehrfamilienhaus.

🚨 Caution: Don't confuse it with a Doppelhaus (semi-detached house, two connected single-family houses) or a Reihenhaus (terraced house / row house, multiple connected single-family houses).

🧐 Grammar Spotlight: Declension of "das Mehrfamilienhaus"

The noun "Mehrfamilienhaus" is neuter (sächlich). Here are the declension tables for singular and plural:

Singular

Plural

Example Sentences 📝

1. Das neue Mehrfamilienhaus in unserer Straße hat zehn Wohnungen.
   (The new apartment building on our street has ten apartments.)
2. Der Architekt des Mehrfamilienhauses erhielt einen Preis.
   (The architect of the apartment building received an award.)
3. Wir wohnen seit fünf Jahren in diesem Mehrfamilienhaus.
   (We have been living in this apartment building for five years.)
4. Die Stadt plant den Bau mehrerer Mehrfamilienhäuser im neuen Viertel.
   (The city is planning the construction of several apartment buildings in the new district.)
5. Die Verwaltung der Mehrfamilienhäuser ist sehr effizient.
   (The management of the apartment buildings is very efficient.)

💬 How to Use "Mehrfamilienhaus"?

The term "Mehrfamilienhaus" is primarily used in the following contexts:

• Real Estate (Immobilienwesen): When buying, selling, or renting residential property. "Wir suchen ein Mehrfamilienhaus als Kapitalanlage." (We are looking for an apartment building as an investment.)
• Architecture & Urban Planning (Architektur & Städtebau): When planning and describing building types and settlement structures. "Die Bebauung besteht überwiegend aus Mehrfamilienhäusern." (The development consists mainly of apartment buildings.)
• Everyday Language (Alltagssprache): To describe one's own place of residence or buildings in the vicinity. "Meine Tante wohnt in einem großen Mehrfamilienhaus am Stadtrand." (My aunt lives in a large apartment building on the outskirts of the city.)

Distinction from similar terms:

• Einfamilienhaus: Building with only one housing unit (single-family house).
• Zweifamilienhaus: Building with two housing units (duplex).
• Wohnblock / Wohnanlage: Often larger complexes, which can include several Mehrfamilienhäuser or be one very large building with many apartments (apartment block / housing complex).
• Mietshaus: Similar to Mehrfamilienhaus, but often emphasizes that the apartments are primarily intended for rent (tenement house / rental building).

🧠 Mnemonics and Memory Aids

Article Mnemonic (das): Think of the core word: It's das Haus (the house). Even if mehr (more) Familien (families) live inside, grammatically it remains das Haus.

Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine mehr (more) than one Familie (family) living under one roof – in one Haus (house). That makes: Mehr-Familien-Haus (multi-family house / apartment building).

↔️ Synonyms & Antonyms for "Mehrfamilienhaus"

⚠️ Similar but different terms: Doppelhaus (duplex/semi-detached), Reihenhaus (terraced/row house).

😂 A Little Joke

DE: Fragt ein Kind das andere: "Wohnst du im Einfamilienhaus?" Antwortet das andere Kind: "Nein, bei uns wohnen viel mehr! Wir wohnen im Mehrfamilienhaus – da ist immer jemand zum Spielen da!" 😄

EN: One child asks another: "Do you live in a single-family house?" The other child replies: "No, many more live with us! We live in an apartment building – there's always someone there to play with!" 😄

✍️ Poem About Living

DE:
Im Mehrfamilienhaus, da ist was los,
Klingeln, Namen, klein und groß.
Stockwerk hoch, Stockwerk tief,
wo jeder seinen Nachbarn rief. Mal laut, mal leise, Tür an Tür,
ein buntes Leben pulsiert hier. Das Haus für viele, unterm Dach vereint,
wo Freud und manchmal Leid erscheint.

EN Translation:
In the apartment building, there's much ado,
Doorbells, names, both small and tall too.
Floor up high, floor down low,
where everyone called their neighbor, you know.
Sometimes loud, sometimes quiet, door to door,
a colorful life pulses here evermore.
The house for many, united under the roof,
where joy and sometimes sorrow appear as proof.

❓ Little Riddle

DE:
Ich habe viele Türen, viele Namen dran,
beherberge mehr als nur Frau und Mann.
Ein Dach für viele, Stockwerk um Stockwerk gebaut,
nicht nur eine Familie hat sich mir anvertraut.

Was bin ich?
Lösung: Das Mehrfamilienhaus

EN:
I have many doors, many names upon them placed,
I house more than just woman and man, interlaced.
A roof for many, built floor by floor so high,
not just one family has trusted in me, nigh.

What am I?

Solution: The Mehrfamilienhaus (apartment building)

ℹ️ More Tidbits

Word Composition (Kompositum):

The word "Mehrfamilienhaus" is a classic example of a German compound noun. It is composed of:

• mehr (adverb/numeral meaning 'more' or 'multiple')
• Familien (noun, plural of Familie 'family')
• Haus (noun, neuter, 'house')

The gender (Genus) of the entire word is determined by the last component, the base word ("Haus"). Therefore, it is das Mehrfamilienhaus.

Prevalence: Mehrfamilienhäuser are the most common form of housing, especially in cities and suburban areas, as they allow for efficient use of land.