homestay

H4O1M3E1S1T1A1Y4
US/ˈhoʊmˌsteɪ/

noun

A system whereby students, visiting a foreign country to study, board with a local family at an affordable price.

OriginJapanese ホームステイ →
Less commonScrabble 16
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Meanings

nounhomestay (plural homestays)

plural homestays · alternative home stay

  1. A system whereby students, visiting a foreign country to study, board with a local family at an affordable price.

    Whether you’re crossing paths with shepherds in the mountains or staying with a family at a homestay, the warmth of the people will linger in your heart long after your trip ends.

    2023 May 31, Cliona Elliott, “8 reasons to travel to Pakistan”, in intrepidtravel.com
  2. A house used primarily as the residence of the owner but with the business of accommodating paying guests.

Origin

  1. Japaneseホームステイ
  2. Englishhomestay

From home + stay, nowadays a reborrowing from Japanese ホームステイ (hōmusutei).

More words from Japanese

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic عَائِلَة مُسْتَضِيفَة
  • عَائِلَة مُسْتَضِيفَة (ʕāʔila mustaḍīfa)Translations
Chinese Mandarin 寄宿家庭
  • 寄宿家庭 (jìsù jiātíng)Translations
Finnish kotimajoitus
  • kotimajoitusTranslations
German Homestay
  • HomestayTranslations
Hindi पारिवारिक आवास, होमस्टे
  • पारिवारिक आवास (pārivārik āvās)Translations
  • होमस्टे (homasṭe)Translations
Hungarian családnál való/történő elhelyezés
  • családnál való/történő elhelyezésTranslations
Japanese ホームステイ
  • ホームステイ (hōmusutei)Translations
Korean 홈스테이
  • 홈스테이 (homseutei)Translations
Malay inap desa, rumah inap
  • inap desaTranslations
  • rumah inapTranslations
Polish stancja, kwatera
  • stancjaTranslations
  • kwateraTranslations
Russian прожива́ние в семье́, хо́умстей
  • прожива́ние в семье́ (proživánije v semʹjé)Translations
  • хо́умстей (xóumstej)Translations
  • хоумсте́й (xoumstéj)Translations
Thai โฮมสเตย์
  • โฮมสเตย์ (hoom-sà-dtee)Translations
Vietnamese homestay
  • homestayTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

homestay. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/homestay

MLA

“homestay.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/homestay. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “homestay,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/homestay.

Source: homestay on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.