臥室 / 卧室
wòshì
The English word "bedroom" is translated into Chinese as 臥室 / 卧室 (wòshì). If unsure, use 臥室 / 卧室. Wiktionary also lists 寢室 / 寝室 (qǐnshì).
Meaning: room in a house where a bed is kept for sleeping (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 臥室 / 卧室 | wòshì |
| 寢室 / 寝室 | qǐnshì |
The term refers to a room in a house where a bed is kept for sleeping.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 臥室 (wòshì) is composed of 臥 (wò), meaning 'to lie down' and 室 (shì), meaning 'room'.
Which one should you use?
While both mean bedroom, 臥室 (wòshì) is the standard term for a private bedroom in a home, whereas 寢室 (qǐnshì) is more commonly used to refer to dormitories or shared sleeping quarters in schools or military barracks.
How do you pronounce it?
wòshì
Did you know?
- In Chinese culture, the concept of a 'bedroom' is often conceptually linked to 風水 (fēngshuǐ), where the position of the bed relative to the door is believed to affect one's health and fortune.
- The character 臥 (wò) is a pictograph that originally depicted a person lying on their side, mimicking the actual posture of sleeping.
- The term 寝室 (qǐnshì) is used for dormitories, but in ancient China, this word referred to the most private and sacred parts of a residence, often restricted by rank.
Examples in context
- 我喜欢我的卧房的色调。I like the color scheme of my bedroom.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bedroom” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
