What does "On the House" mean?

Free, paid for by the establishment Given free of charge by a business, typically a pub, restaurant, or hotel.

How do you use "On the House" in a sentence?

This round's on the house. Dessert's on the house for your birthday.

On the House

Slang Term AmericanBritishAustralian ★★★★★ Very Common Casual

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Meaning: Free, paid for by the establishment

免费的、由店家请客

Gratis, pagado por el establecimiento

お店のおごり、無料

가게에서 제공하는, 무료

Given free of charge by a business, typically a pub, restaurant, or hotel.

由商家免费提供，通常是酒吧、餐厅或酒店。

Ofrecido gratuitamente por un negocio, normalmente un pub, restaurante u hotel.

ビジネス、通常はパブ、レストラン、またはホテルが無料で提供する。

주로 펍, 레스토랑, 호텔 등에서 무료로 제공하는 것.

Examples

This round's on the house.
这一轮店里请客
esta ronda invita la casa
この1杯はお店のおごりです
이번 한 잔은 가게에서 쏩니다.
Dessert's on the house for your birthday.
生日甜点店里请客
el postre invita la casa por tu cumpleaños
お誕生日なのでデザートはサービスです
생일이시니 디저트는 서비스입니다.

Pronunciation

/ɒn ðə haʊs/

Usage Guide

Context: hospitality

Tone: generous

✓ Do Say

Offering freebies
提供免费服务时
para ofrecer algo gratis
無料サービスを提供するとき
무료 서비스를 제공할 때

✗ Don't Say

Demanding freebies
不用于要求免费
No se usa para exigir cosas gratis
無料を要求するときには使わない
무료를 요구할 때

Common Mistakes

Only businesses say it

Origin & History

American, late 19th century. The 'house' (establishment) pays.

Cultural Context

Era: Late 19th century

Generation: All ages

Social background: All classes

Pop culture: Bars and restaurants

Regional notes: Universal.

Variations

On the house