Cool MateBe welcome vs Enjoy yourself vs Make yourself at home
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Be welcome
Enjoy yourself
Make yourself at home
| Be welcome | Enjoy yourself | Make yourself at home | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //biː ˈwɛlkəm//🇺🇸 //bi ˈwɛlkəm// | 🇬🇧 //ɪnˈdʒɔɪ jɔːˈsɛlf//🇺🇸 //ɪnˈdʒɔɪ jɔˈsɛlf// | 🇬🇧 //meɪk jɔːˈsɛlf æt hoʊm//🇺🇸 //meɪk jɔʊrˈsɛlf æt hoʊm// |
| Meaning | Feel free to be here or join us. | Have a good time and be happy. | Feel comfortable in someone's house. |
| Example | When you arrive at the party, just be welcome and enjoy the festivities. | When you go on vacation, make sure to enjoy yourself. | When you enter, please make yourself at home and enjoy the snacks. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Beyond 10,000 (less common) | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 2,000 (common) |
| Collocations | be welcome at any time, be welcome to join, be welcome in our home, be welcome to participate, be welcome among friends | enjoy yourself fully, enjoy yourself at a party, enjoy yourself during a holiday, enjoy yourself responsibly | make yourself comfortable, make yourself feel welcome, make yourself at ease |
| Common mistakes | Saying 'be welcomed' instead of 'be welcome'., Confusing with 'welcome' as a noun. 'Be welcome' is a greeting., Using in the wrong context, such as formal business situations. | Omitting 'yourself' and saying just 'enjoy'., Using 'enjoy yourself' in overly formal settings where a simple 'have fun' is more suitable., Misplacing the focus on 'yourself' when addressing a group. | Using it in formal business settings where it feels too casual., Confusing it with 'make yourself comfortable' which has a different tone., Not using it when inviting guests over. |
| Usage notes | Used when greeting someone, it’s polite and friendly. Appropriate in informal and formal settings. | Used to encourage someone to have fun, commonly in social situations. More formal alternatives exist but this is widely accepted. | Used when welcoming someone. Suitable for informal settings, not for formal occasions. A friendly invitation. |
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Frequently asked questions: Be welcome vs Enjoy yourself vs Make yourself at home
What's the difference between Be welcome, Enjoy yourself, and Make yourself at home?
Be welcome: Feel free to be here or join us. Enjoy yourself: Have a good time and be happy. Make yourself at home: Feel comfortable in someone's house.
Can you show an example of each?
Be welcome: When you arrive at the party, just be welcome and enjoy the festivities. Enjoy yourself: When you go on vacation, make sure to enjoy yourself. Make yourself at home: When you enter, please make yourself at home and enjoy the snacks.
Can I use Be welcome, Enjoy yourself, and Make yourself at home interchangeably?
Not always. Be welcome, Enjoy yourself, and Make yourself at home are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.