घर पर नहीं हैं

Use it when someone knocks on your door. Use it when the phone rings for your roommate. You do not need to change the words much. If you are talking about yourself, you say Main ghar par nahi hoon. If you are talking about someone else respectfully, use Hain. It fits perfectly at the end of a sentence. It is like a verbal 'Do Not Disturb' sign but much friendlier.

Use it when a delivery driver calls you. Use it when a nosy neighbor asks where your brother is. It is perfect for professional excuses too. If you are 'out of office,' this phrase still works in a literal sense. It is great for texting when you are running late. It saves you from long explanations about where you actually are.

Do not use it if someone is actually home but just sleeping. That might lead to an awkward encounter later! Avoid using it in very formal business emails about 'availability.' In those cases, use 'unavailable' instead. Also, if you are in a shop, do not say the shop is Ghar par nahi. That makes no sense! Only use it for people and their residences.

In India, neighbors often drop by without calling first. This phrase is the polite 'shield' for family members. Indian culture is very social, so saying someone is 'not home' is a neutral way to decline a visit. It avoids the rudeness of saying 'they don't want to see you.' It is the ultimate polite white lie if someone is just taking a nap!

Sometimes people drop the par and just say Ghar nahi hain. It means the exact same thing. In a hurry? Just say Bahar hain, which means 'They are out.' If you want to be extra polite, add Ji at the end. You might also hear Ghar pe nahi hain. The pe is just a casual version of par. All of these will get your point across perfectly.