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 [TSIM-mer].
- 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-mer
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:
- Rooms in a house or building
- Schlafzimmer – bedroom
- Wohnzimmer – living room
- Kinderzimmer – children’s room
- Zimmerpflanze – houseplant
- Hotel rooms / rentals
- Einzelzimmer – single room
- Doppelzimmer – double room
- Zimmer frei – rooms available (classic sign outside pensions)
- Figurative or euphemistic
- ins Zimmer geschickt werden – sent to your room (punishment)
- ein stilles Zimmer – a quiet room (used in funeral contexts)
Its antonym could be Freifläche (open space), Außenbereich (outdoor area), or more simply draußen (outside).
Grammatical case examples:
- Nominative:
Das Zimmer hat zwei Fenster.
The room has two windows. - Accusative:
Ich putze das Zimmer später.
I’ll clean the room later. - Dative:
Mit dem Zimmer bin ich sehr zufrieden.
I’m very happy with the room. - Genitive:
Wegen des Zimmers mussten wir mehr Miete zahlen.
Because of the room, we had to pay more rent.
Neuter case pattern: das, das, dem, des
Word variations and language tidbits
Variation Station:
- Zimmermann – carpenter (originally: “room-builder”)
- Zimmergenosse – roommate (in shared living)
- Zimmerdecke – ceiling
- Zimmerlautstärke – room volume (i.e. not too loud!)
- Zimmervermietung – room rental
- Zimmerschlüssel – room key
Fun usage note:
In German hotels or boarding houses, you’ll often see the classic sign:
Zimmer frei – “Rooms available”
Also: Zimmerlautstärke is a common term on appliances and in neighborly complaints. It means “volume that’s appropriate for inside a room”—i.e., don’t blast your speakers.
📘 Duden entry: https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Zimmer
🎥 Learn Zimmer and the rest of the top 1000 German nouns in our free online video course:
https://deutschable.com/nouns/
Alternate translations note:
For rooms with specific functions in public buildings, like classroom, Germans use Raum (e.g. Klassenraum or Seminarraum). But when you're talking about personal, domestic, or hotel spaces, Zimmer is the word you want.
Ready for more German words of the day? Do you know what Zufall means? How about Zug? Find out!