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When should I use zu Haus and when nach Haus? For instance:

Ich fahrt nach/zu Haus.

Ich gehe nach/zu Haus.

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18

Correct is:

Ich fahre nach Hause.
Ich gehe nach Hause.

Ich fahre/gehe nach Haus (without e) is more colloquial.

If you on the way to your home, you use nach. If you are already at home, you use 'zu Hauseorzuhause`.

Ich bin zuhause.  (I am at home)
Ich komme zuhause an (I arrive at home)
Ich esse zuhause (I eat in)
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  • 1
    Morgen werde ich zu Hause sein.
    – musiKk
    Mar 25, 2012 at 20:17
  • Ich bin in Berlin zu Hause. Eben kam ich nach Hause. Bald bin ich zu Hause.
    – user unknown
    Mar 19, 2016 at 17:10
  • thanks for explaining. just one question. so can we say- Ich gehe nach Zuhause. thanks K
    – user27601
    Jun 22, 2017 at 8:57
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    "nach Haus (without e) is more colloquial". I disagree, at least in my experience (Northern Germany) people would always say nach Hause. nach Haus sounds Southern to me.
    – Raketenolli
    Jun 22, 2017 at 9:07
  • It's either "nach Hause" or "zu Hause"/"zuhause". You cannot use both "nach" and "zu" at the same time. (Just as in English, you don't say "I go to at home" either). You can treat "Zuhause" as a noun, but then you have to specify whose home it is and you have to use "zu" instead of "nach", e.g. "Ich gehe zu meinem Zuhause" (although this might sound a bit weird/convoluted).
    – Annatar
    Jun 22, 2017 at 9:56
24

This is simple :)

nach Hause - Where are you going to? Home. Direction no matter how you get there.

zu Hause - Where are you? (At)Home. Current location. Also for to stay

von Zuhause - Where are you coming from? (From) home. "Origin"

This rule applys to any action. What matters is the question word.

From where are you calling? Von Zuhause.

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  • "Current" trifft es nicht. Wo warst Du zu Hause? Wo wirst Du zu Hause sein? Die See ist sein Zuhause. Origin?
    – user unknown
    Mar 19, 2016 at 17:08
  • How did it happen? If Zuhause means at home,you said then with 'von Zuhause' from at home :/
    – user1474062
    Mar 21, 2016 at 23:38
  • Does this only apply to the noun Haus? For instance, I read the following in a text: "Ich werde zum Supermarkt gehen. Ich gehe zum Supermarkt. Ich bin zum Supermarkt gegangen."
    – user5389726598465
    May 3, 2017 at 5:16
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I have just made an explanation video about this topic: "zu Hause" or "nach Hause" explained

Excerpt:

Being in a location: 

Ich bin zu Hause.
I   am  at home.

Moving to a location: 

Ich gehe nach Hause.
I   go   home.

It is quite confusing if you only recall "zu" as "to" in German (which would be the direct translation), since "zu Hause" would translate to "to home" which is incorrect in this case. Better remember "zu Hause" as one term, this makes it easier: zu Hause = at home

Other example sentences: 

She will send the package home.
Sie wird das Paket nach Hause senden.

At home, it is beautiful.
Zu Hause ist es schön.
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