Key Facts
- Hangul: 침실; Revised Romanization: chimsil
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean
- Register: Neutral but somewhat formal or written; in daily speech people often say 방 or 안방.
Bedroom in Korean: What Does 침실 Mean?
침실 is the neutral but somewhat formal or written word for a bedroom. You see it in house listings, hotel descriptions and furniture ads. In daily speech people more often say 방 (room) or 안방, the main bedroom. In a written description such as a floor plan, 침실 두 개 (two bedrooms) is a natural way to count them, although many listings simply count 방.
How Do You Pronounce 침실?
Two syllables: chim-sil. The first begins with an aspirated ch, said with a small puff, and ends in m with the lips closed. The second is 'sil'. The word is read as spelled.
Example Sentences with 침실
침실은 이 층에 있어요.
chimsireun i cheunge isseoyo.
The bedroom is on the second floor.
침실은 이 층에 있어요 uses 이 층 ('second floor') to place the room. 이 here is the number two, not 'this'.
침실에 큰 침대가 있어요.
chimsire keun chimdaega isseoyo.
There is a big bed in the bedroom.
침실에 큰 침대가 있어요 describes furniture. 침대 is 'bed', and 큰 means 'big'.
이 집에는 침실이 두 개 있어요.
i jibeneun chimsiri du gae isseoyo.
This house has two bedrooms.
이 집에는 침실이 두 개 있어요 counts rooms with 두 개 ('two items'), the usual way to describe a house.
Common Phrases and Collocations
Property and decoration language account for the four phrases below.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 침실 두 개 | two bedrooms |
| 침실 가구 | bedroom furniture |
| 주 침실 | master bedroom |
| 침실을 꾸미다 | to decorate the bedroom |
The Mistake to Avoid
Less natural in everyday chat: Using 침실 for 'my room'
More usual: Say 내 방 for your own room and 안방 for the main bedroom.
Why: 침실 sounds like a listing or a written description. In a conversation, Koreans more often say 내 방, and 안방 for the main bedroom of a home.
침실 Compared with 안방 and 방
Three words cover bedrooms and rooms, and they differ by how formal and how specific they are.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 침실 | bedroom | A bedroom, formal or written. |
| 안방 | main bedroom | The parents' or largest bedroom in a Korean home. |
| 방 | room | The ordinary word for a room or one's own room in conversation. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
침실 is Sino-Korean: 寢室, from 寢 (sleep) and 室 (room). The second character appears in many room names.
Viewing an Apartment
An agent shows a visitor an apartment. 침실 fits this scene because they are discussing the rooms and their layout.
Visitor
침실은 어디에 있어요?
Chimsireun eodie isseoyo?
Where is the bedroom?
Agent
거실 옆에 있어요.
Geosil yeope isseoyo.
It is next to the living room.
Visitor
침실에 침대가 있어요?
Chimsire chimdaega isseoyo?
Is there a bed in the bedroom?
Agent
아니요. 침대는 없어요.
Aniyo. Chimdaeneun eopseoyo.
No. There is no bed.
The visitor asks two different questions: where the bedroom is, and whether it contains a bed. 침실 names the room's function; 침대 names a piece of furniture. The answer places the room beside 거실, the living room. 옆에 means “next to”, so the agent is describing the layout rather than directing the visitor upstairs.
Does 침실 Always Contain a Bed?
침실 means a room used for sleeping. The noun itself does not promise a Western-style bed or tell you what furniture comes with a rental. A room can serve as a sleeping space with bedding laid on the floor. Ask about 침대 separately if the furniture matters to your stay.
침실 가구 means bedroom furniture, a category that can include more than the bed. In a shop, the phrase groups furniture by the room where it is used. 침실을 꾸미다 means decorating the bedroom: choosing its appearance and arranging it. The verb does not imply adding another bedroom to the building.
주 침실 identifies the main bedroom in a description. In English, “primary bedroom” is another translation of the existing “master bedroom” gloss. 안방 is a familiar household term for the main bedroom, but a child's own bedroom is usually their 방. Use the room's role and the conversation to choose the noun.
Reading a Floor Plan or Accommodation Description
침실 appears beside labels such as 거실 and 주방 on descriptions of a home. The labels distinguish sleeping, living and cooking spaces. If a description says 침실 두 개, it is counting bedrooms. If it only says 방 두 개, the wording counts rooms without explicitly naming their sleeping function.
A room count and a bed count answer different questions. Two bedrooms do not automatically mean two beds, and a single bedroom can contain more than one bed. When reading an accommodation description, keep the room label separate from the furniture list. This avoids turning every occurrence of 침 into the English word “bed”.
At home, 내 방 often sounds more natural than 내 침실 when you mean “my room”. Still, 침실 is a normal Korean word, and it can be useful in conversation when the sleeping area needs to be distinguished from another room. Its descriptive tone is a matter of context, not a rule that bans it from speech.
Words for the Space and Its Contents
| Word | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 침대 | bed | Furniture inside a bedroom, not the room itself. |
| 이불 | blanket / quilt / bedding | Relevant whether someone sleeps on a bed or the floor. |
| 베개 | pillow | Something on the bed or sleeping mat. |
| 옷장 | wardrobe | Storage furniture that may be listed separately. |
Use the bedroom vocabulary lesson to describe these objects together. For the apartment as a whole, the home vocabulary lesson covers the surrounding rooms. Learning 침실 beside 침대 gives you a practical room-versus-object distinction that also helps when asking what a furnished room contains.
Quick Self-Test
- Which word names the bed: 침실 or 침대?
- Does 침실 두 개 tell you exactly how many beds there are?
- What is the usual everyday phrase for “my room”?
Show answers
- 침대 names the bed; 침실 names the bedroom.
- No. It counts bedrooms, not beds.
- 내 방.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say 'bedroom' in Korean?
Say 침실 (chimsil).
Do Koreans say 침실 in conversation?
Less often than 방 or 안방. 침실 is more formal or written.
How do I say 'two bedrooms'?
Say 침실 두 개.
What does 주 침실 mean?
It means 'master bedroom'.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: daily life home vocabulary; also the page on Korean bedroom vocabulary.
- Compare with 방, the everyday room.
- Next word: living room in Korean.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add 침실 to the vocabulary flashcard decks.