A Tour of a Typical British Home

 

When you enter a typical British house, the first thing you’ll see is the hall, which leads to the living room, kitchen, and dining room. In some houses, there's also a utility room for the washing machine and clothes dryer. If the house is big enough, there might even be a study with a desk and computer for working from home.

The living room (also called a sitting room or lounge) is often the most comfortable room in the house. It’s where families relax, watch TV, and entertain guests. You’ll find a sofa and some armchairs, usually with soft cushions for extra comfort. There may be a carpet covering the floor or rugs on a wooden floor. In front of the seating area, there’s often a coffee table for placing drinks, books, or magazines. Along the walls, you might see a bookcase or shelves for books and decorative items, or even a display cabinet to show off important ornaments. In older homes, there could be a fireplace, although modern houses usually have central heating instead.

Next, let’s move to the kitchen, which in many British homes is a fitted kitchen. That means all the furniture and appliances, like the fridge, freezer, and dishwasher, are installed as a unit. The work surfaces (often made of marble or wood) are used for preparing food. In the cupboards, you’ll find pots and pans like saucepans and frying pans, as well as cutlery in the drawers. A typical kitchen also contains an oven, hob, and a sink for washing up. Some kitchens also have space for a kitchen table and chairs, making it a cozy place for meals.

Upstairs, on the first floor, you’ll find the bedrooms and bathroom. Most bedrooms have a wardrobe for hanging clothes and a chest of drawers for smaller items like socks or T-shirts. The bed itself is usually a double bed or single bed, with sheets, blankets, or a duvet to keep warm. Next to the bed, there is often a bedside table with a lamp or an alarm clock. If the bedroom is large, there might even be a dressing table with a mirror.

In the bathroom, you'll find a shower, bath, and toilet (or loo), along with a sink for washing your hands or brushing your teeth. The towel rail is used for drying towels, and there is usually a bath mat on the floor to absorb any water. Above the sink, there is often a bathroom mirror with a bathroom cabinet for storing toiletries.

Many British homes also have a garden, which is an important feature for those who enjoy gardening. A well-kept lawn might be surrounded by flower borders or a vegetable patch. The garden is often enclosed by a fence or hedge for privacy. To maintain the garden, homeowners use tools like a lawnmower to cut the grass, shears to trim hedges, and a rake to collect leaves. In spring, many gardeners sow seeds or plant seedlings in their herb garden or greenhouse. Throughout the year, they will need to do jobs like weeding, watering, and adding compost to keep the plants healthy.

Finally, the attic or loft at the top of the house often serves as a storage space, but in some homes, it's been converted into an additional bedroom through a loft conversion.

Renovating or updating homes is common in the UK. Many homeowners enjoy DIY tasks like painting, putting up shelves, or replacing old light fittings. Larger projects, like building an extension or rewiring the house, usually require professional help and may need planning permission from the local authorities. Regular cleaning also keeps the house in good condition, with weekly tasks like hoovering the carpets, dusting furniture, and mopping the floors. In spring, many people do a thorough spring clean, which involves decluttering, polishing furniture, and touching up paintwork.

In summary, a British home is a cozy, functional space with a variety of rooms and furniture designed for comfort and practicality, making it a wonderful place to live and entertain guests.

House Structure and Rooms:

1. House – Dom
2. Hall – Przedpokój
3. Living room / Sitting room / Lounge – Salon / Pokój dzienny
4. Kitchen – Kuchnia
5. Dining room – Jadalnia
6. Utility room – Pomieszczenie gospodarcze
7. Study – Gabinet
8. Bedroom – Sypialnia
9. Bathroom – Łazienka
10. Attic / Loft – Strych / Poddasze
11. Garage – Garaż
12. Front garden – Ogród przed domem
13. Back garden – Ogród za domem

Furniture and Appliances:

1. Sofa – Sofa / Kanapa
2. Armchair – Fotel
3. Cushion – Poduszka dekoracyjna
4. Carpet – Dywan (pokrywający całą podłogę)
5. Rug – Dywanik (częściowy, mniejszy)
6. Coffee table – Stolik kawowy
7. Bookcase – Regał na książki
8. Shelves – Półki
9. Display cabinet – Witryna
10. Fireplace – Kominek
11. Central heating – Centralne ogrzewanie
12. Fitted kitchen – Kuchnia w zabudowie
13. Fridge – Lodówka
14. Freezer – Zamrażarka
15. Dishwasher – Zmywarka
16. Oven – Piekarnik
17. Hob – Płyta grzewcza
18. Sink – Zlew
19. Work surface / Worktop – Blat roboczy
20. Washing machine – Pralka
21. Clothes dryer – Suszarka do ubrań

Bedroom Furniture:

1. Wardrobe – Szafa
2. Chest of drawers – Komoda
3. Bed – Łóżko
4. Double bed – Łóżko podwójne
5. Single bed – Łóżko pojedyncze
6. Duvet – Kołdra
7. Blanket – Koc
8. Sheets – Prześcieradła
9. Pillow – Poduszka
10. Bedside table – Szafka nocna
11. Lamp – Lampa
12. Alarm clock – Budzik
13. Dressing table – Toaletka
14. Mirror – Lustro

Bathroom Furniture:

1. Toilet / Loo – Toaleta
2. Shower – Prysznic
3. Bath – Wanna
4. Sink – Umywalka
5. Bathroom mirror – Lustro łazienkowe
6. Bathroom cabinet – Szafka łazienkowa
7. Towel rail – Wieszak na ręczniki
8. Bath mat – Dywanik łazienkowy

Garden and Gardening Tools:

1. Garden – Ogród
2. Lawn – Trawnik
3. Flower borders – Rabaty kwiatowe
4. Vegetable patch – Warzywnik
5. Hedge – Żywopłot
6. Fence – Płot
7. Lawnmower – Kosiarka
8. Shears – Nożyce ogrodowe
9. Secateurs – Sekator
10. Spade – Szpadel
11. Fork – Widły
12. Rake – Grabie
13. Hoe – Motyka
14. Trowel – Łopatka
15. Greenhouse – Szklarnia
16. Weeds – Chwasty
17. Compost – Kompost
18. Manure – Nawóz naturalny

Renovation and Maintenance:

1. DIY (Do It Yourself) – Zrób to sam
2. Shelf – Półka
3. Light fittings – Oświetlenie
4. Extension – Rozbudowa
5. Loft conversion – Adaptacja strychu
6. Rewiring – Wymiana instalacji elektrycznej
7. Planning permission – Pozwolenie na budowę

Cleaning Vocabulary:

1. Hoover / Vacuum cleaner – Odkurzacz
2. Duster – Ściereczka do kurzu
3. Mop – Mop
4. Bucket – Wiadro
5. Scrubbing brush – Szczotka do szorowania
6. Window cleaner – Środek do mycia okien
7. Furniture polish – Płyn do polerowania mebli
8. Declutter – Oczyszczanie z niepotrzebnych rzeczy

A Tour of a Typical British Home

When you enter a typical British ________ (dom), the first thing you’ll see is the ________ (przedpokój), which leads to the ________ (salon), ________ (kuchnia), and ________ (jadalnia). In some houses, there's also a ________ (pomieszczenie gospodarcze) for the ________ (pralka) and ________ (suszarka do ubrań). If the house is big enough, there might even be a ________ (gabinet) with a ________ (biurko) and ________ (komputer) for working from home.

The ________ (salon) (also called a ________ or ________) is often the most comfortable room in the house. It’s where families relax, watch TV, and entertain guests. You’ll find a ________ (sofa) and some ________ (fotel), usually with soft ________ (poduszka dekoracyjna) for extra comfort. There may be a ________ (dywan) covering the floor or ________ (dywanik) on a ________ (drewniana podłoga). In front of the seating area, there’s often a ________ (stolik kawowy) for placing drinks, books, or magazines. Along the walls, you might see a ________ (regał na książki) or ________ (półki) for books and decorative items, or even a ________ (witryna) to show off important ornaments. In older homes, there could be a ________ (kominek), although modern houses usually have ________ (centralne ogrzewanie) instead.

Next, let’s move to the ________ (kuchnia), which in many British homes is a ________ (kuchnia w zabudowie). That means all the furniture and appliances, like the ________ (lodówka), ________ (zamrażarka), and ________ (zmywarka), are installed as a unit. The ________ (blat roboczy) (often made of marble or wood) are used for preparing food. In the cupboards, you’ll find ________ (garnki i patelnie) like ________ (rondle) and ________ (patelnie), as well as ________ (sztućce) in the drawers. A typical kitchen also contains an ________ (piekarnik), ________ (płyta grzewcza), and a ________ (zlew) for washing up. Some kitchens also have space for a ________ (stół kuchenny) and ________ (krzesła), making it a cozy place for meals.

Upstairs, on the ________ (pierwsze piętro), you’ll find the ________ (sypialnie) and ________ (łazienka). Most ________ (sypialnie) have a ________ (szafa) for hanging clothes and a ________ (komoda) for smaller items like socks or T-shirts. The bed itself is usually a ________ (łóżko podwójne) or ________ (łóżko pojedyncze), with ________ (prześcieradła), ________ (koce), or a ________ (kołdra) to keep warm. Next to the bed, there is often a ________ (szafka nocna) with a ________ (lampa) or an ________ (budzik). If the bedroom is large, there might even be a ________ (toaletka) with a ________ (lustro).

In the ________ (łazienka), you'll find a ________ (prysznic), ________ (wanna), and ________ (toaleta), along with a ________ (umywalka) for washing your hands or brushing your teeth. The ________ (wieszak na ręczniki) is used for drying towels, and there is usually a ________ (dywanik łazienkowy) on the floor to absorb any water. Above the sink, there is often a ________ (lustro łazienkowe) with a ________ (szafka łazienkowa) for storing toiletries.

Many British homes also have a ________ (ogród), which is an important feature for those who enjoy ________ (ogrodnictwo). A well-kept ________ (trawnik) might be surrounded by ________ (rabaty kwiatowe) or a ________ (warzywnik). The garden is often enclosed by a ________ (płot) or ________ (żywopłot) for privacy. To maintain the garden, homeowners use tools like a ________ (kosiarka) to cut the grass, ________ (nożyce ogrodowe) to trim hedges, and a ________ (grabie) to collect leaves. In spring, many gardeners ________ (sadzić nasiona) or plant ________ (sadzonki) in their ________ (szklarnia). Throughout the year, they will need to do jobs like ________ (pielenie), ________ (podlewanie), and adding ________ (kompost) to keep the plants healthy.

Finally, the ________ (strych) at the top of the house often serves as a storage space, but in some homes, it's been converted into an additional bedroom through a ________ (adaptacja strychu).

Renovating or updating homes is common in the UK. Many homeowners enjoy ________ (DIY) tasks like painting, putting up ________ (półki), or replacing old ________ (oświetlenie). Larger projects, like building an ________ (rozbudowa) or ________ (wymiana instalacji elektrycznej), usually require professional help and may need ________ (pozwolenie na budowę) from the local authorities. Regular ________ (czyszczenie) also keeps the house in good condition, with weekly tasks like ________ (odkurzanie) the ________ (dywany), ________ (ścieranie kurzu), and ________ (mycie) the floors. In spring, many people do a thorough ________ (wiosenne porządki), which involves ________ (pozbywanie się niepotrzebnych rzeczy), polishing furniture, and touching up paintwork.