How do you say Room in German?

Whether you’re checking into a hotel, renting an apartment, or just cleaning your bedroom - Germans call it a Zimmer. It’s a practical, everyday word that’s always close to home.

The noun Zimmer means room, and it’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German. You’ll hear it in real estate ads, house tours, hotel check-ins, and childhood memories.

It’s a neuter noun, so we say das Zimmer.

Pronunciation

Zimmer is pronounced approximately [TSIM-uh]; final -er is often vocalized.

• Z is pronounced like “ts”,
• The i is short (like in “bit”),
• The -er ending is a soft “uh,”
• Stress is on the first syllable: TSIM-uh

It’s quick, tidy, and efficient - just like the space it describes.

Example sentences:

• Mein Zimmer ist ziemlich klein, aber gemütlich.My room is pretty small, but cozy.
• Wir haben ein Zimmer für zwei Nächte reserviert.We’ve reserved a room for two nights.

Nuance and usage tips

Zimmer comes from Old High German zimbar, meaning timber or building material - originally referring to a constructed space.

Common uses include:

1. Rooms in a house or building
   • Schlafzimmer - bedroom
   • Wohnzimmer - living room
   • Kinderzimmer - children’s room
   • Zimmerpflanze - houseplant
2. Hotel rooms / rentals
   • Einzelzimmer - single room
   • Doppelzimmer - double room
   • Zimmer frei - rooms available (classic sign outside pensions)
3. Everyday phrases
   • ins Zimmer geschickt werden - sent to your room (punishment)
   • ein stilles Zimmer - a quiet room (literal phrase)
     sein Zimmer aufräumen - to tidy one’s room

Related words: Freifläche means open space, Außenbereich means outdoor area and draußen means outside. They are contextual contrasts, not exact antonyms of Zimmer.