dilapidated house; hovel; shack
Refers to a run-down, crumbling house; often used literally but can be self-deprecating.
my humble home; my place
Humble expression used to refer to one's own house; often self-deprecating, implying it's a modest or shabby dwelling.
small open-sided shelter
Archaic term for a simple resting place with a roof and pillars but no walls; not used in modern Japanese.
The old dilapidated house collapsed in the typhoon.
He bought a run-down house cheaply and repaired it himself.
Please come in, though it's just my humble home.
It is said that travelers of old took shelter from the rain in small open-sided shelters in the fields.
小屋 is a general small hut or shed, not necessarily run-down; あばら屋 implies poor condition.
あばら家 describes a shabby, run-down house, the opposite extreme from a splendid 豪邸.
Standard kanji spelling using 屋 for 'house'.
Variant using 家; less common but still seen.
Rare kanji spelling; may be confused with other readings.
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially when the kanji are not needed.
Derived from あばら (荒ら, rough/dilapidated) + 屋 (house). The exact historical origin of あばら is uncertain, but it is related to the adjective 荒い (rough).