Useful English Word or Phrase to Boost Your English: On the house

What does it mean?

Something is free because the business is paying for it.

Is it positive or negative?

Positive.

When do you use it?

Use it in restaurants or bars when the staff gives you a free item.

Examples

Example 1: The dessert was on the house.

Example 2: They gave us a drink on the house for the delay.

Question for you

Have you ever had something on the house?

Are you looking for English speaking practice online?

On the house is a lovely phrase to hear in a cafe or restaurant. We practise these service phrases in online English lessons with a British native speaker. For food talk, see sarnie. Find out more here.