How to Say "Roommate" in Chinese

室友

shìyǒu

The English phrase roommate is translated into Chinese as 室友 (shìyǒu). If unsure, use 室友. Wiktionary also lists 同屋 (tóngwū).

Meaning: US: with whom one shares an apartment or house (noun)

Ways to say it

“roommate” in Chinese
Chinese	Romanization (Wiktionary)
室友	shìyǒu
同屋	tóngwū

Both 室友 and 同屋 are used to describe people sharing a living space. In modern urban settings and universities, 室友 is the standard term used.

The word 室友 is composed of 室 (room) and 友 (friend). The word 同屋 is composed of 同 (same) and 屋 (room/house).

While both terms refer to a roommate, 室友 is more formal and common in standard spoken or written Chinese, whereas 同屋 is more colloquial.

shìyǒu

In Chinese universities, roommates are often grouped by their hometowns or provinces to help students adjust to campus life. This makes the 室友 relationship a strategic tool for regional networking.
The character 室 in 室友 refers specifically to a room or chamber, but in ancient China, it often referred to the inner quarters of a house where women lived.
When describing a person you live with in a shared apartment, you can also use the term 合租人, which literally means 'person who rents together'.

我的室友真恶心。
My roommate is so disgusting.
This sentence is useful for describing a person's behavior using 室友.
Tatoeba #5611564 by verdastelo9604, translation #2439744 by Hybrid
我的室友在學中文。
My roommate is learning Chinese.
This sentence shows an activity being performed by a 室友.
Tatoeba #1423398 by cienias, translation #792531 by ryanthewired
“你和玛丽是朋友吗？”“是的，她是我的室友。”
"Are you friends with Mary?" "Yes, she's my roommate."
This sentence illustrates how to use 室友 when clarifying a relationship.
Tatoeba #9962409 by GlossaMatik, translation #3938888 by Hybrid
我和我的舍友一起玩乒乓球。
I play table tennis together with my roommate.
他是我现在的同屋。
He is my current roommate.
4 more sentences on Tatoeba

Two friends are talking about their living arrangements at a university.

Sources

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