How do you say "roommate" in Chinese?

室友

shì yǒu

Noun Hanzi

In Chinese, "roommate" is 室友 (shì yǒu).

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Pronunciation

Pronounce this as "shì yǒu": "shì" is falling fast and sharp, like a command (tone 4), then "yǒu" is dipping down and curling back up (tone 3).

Writing and usage

室友 is written using hanzi. It's a noun, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.

Example sentence

我室友每天晚上洗碗。

wǒ shì yǒu měi tiān wǎn shàng xǐ wǎn 。

My roommate does the dishes every night.

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How to remember 室友

Break "室友" (shì yǒu) into "shì yǒu" and repeat it slowly a few times until the rhythm sticks in your ear.

Related words

Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.

Questions about 室友

How do you pronounce 室友?

Pronounce this as "shì yǒu": "shì" is falling fast and sharp, like a command (tone 4), then "yǒu" is dipping down and curling back up (tone 3).

Is 室友 formal or casual?

室友 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.

How is 室友 used in Chinese?

室友 is used the same way as the equivalent English noun. For example: 我室友每天晚上洗碗。 (My roommate does the dishes every night.).

Where can I practice Chinese words for free?

You can play free Chinese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the Chinese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Roommate" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Chinese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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