My or Our?

Wanda asks:
I am hoping you can clear up a long time dispute between my husband and me.

If I am speaking to a stranger by myself and I make reference to "my" house, would it be best to say "my house" or "our house"?

I feel using the term "our house" is confusing unless my husband is standing there, talking to the third party with me, then I would use "our house".

I suspect that most people (at least in North America) would understand "our house" to mean "the house I own with my spouse/partner/relatives." But with the other owner absent, "my house" is also acceptable. If the co-owner of the house is present, "our house" is preferable.

Comments

[Anna]

Hi, I am new comer,say hi to you. :P
I'm internatnional student at Capilano College. Today, I just try to search my college; but i am so lucky to search your blog, i think its so useful for me,coz my Engish is not good.hehe
i come from China, in Chinese, when both two people have relationship(such as,husband,son,parents etc), they call "our house". But when two people just friend, they would use "my house"; so, different culutre different language.hehe
bye-bye