ENGLISH
REFERENCE

head home

fixed phrase.
A2 Elementary General-service Informal
Definition

fixed phrase. to start your journey back to the place where you live.

fixed phrase. to depart for one's residence. The verb 'head' functions as a directional intransitive, while 'home' acts as an adverb of place.


SIMPLE

It is getting late, so I should head home now.

CONTEXTUAL

After the party finished at midnight, we decided to head home before the last train left.

COMPLEX

Exhausted by the relentless pace of the conference, the delegates began to head home as soon as the final keynote concluded.

Usage

Commonly used in spoken English to signal the end of a social activity.

Teaching tip

Remind students that 'home' functions as an adverb here, so they should not use a preposition like 'to' between the words.

Pitfall

I am tired and I want to head to home.I am tired and I want to head home.The word 'home' is used as an adverb of direction here, so the preposition 'to' is incorrect.

Last updated August 2, 2026