The most common way to say 'bedroom' in French is la chambre. It's the word you'll hear most often. But what if you're staying in a fancy hotel suite, or describing your child's nursery?

As you furnish your French vocabulary, you'll find that having more specific words can add color and precision to your conversations.

Let's open the door to 9 different ways to say 'bedroom' in French, from the simple to the specific!

1. The standard 'bedroom' – La chambre

The most common and direct way to say 'bedroom' in French is la chambre. It's a feminine noun, so you'll always use feminine articles and adjectives with it, like la or une.

La chambre specifically refers to a room in a house or apartment where a bed is kept for sleeping. It's the standard term used in everyday conversation, real estate listings, and hotel bookings.

You'll often hear it in the phrase la chambre à coucher, which literally means 'the room for sleeping'. While you can just say la chambre, adding à coucher provides extra clarity, though it's often redundant in a home context.

It's important not to confuse la chambre with la pièce, which means 'room' in a general sense, or le salon (the living room). If you're talking about the place you sleep, la chambre is almost always the correct word.

The plural form is les chambres. You use this when talking about multiple bedrooms, for instance, when describing a house: 'Il y a trois chambres dans cet appartement.' (There are three bedrooms in this apartment).

💡 * Ma chambre est en désordre.

• L'hôtel propose des chambres avec vue sur la mer.
• Les enfants doivent ranger leur chambre.
• C'est une maison avec quatre chambres à coucher.
• Peux-tu aller chercher mon livre dans la chambre ?

The more specific 'bedroom' – La chambre à coucher

While la chambre is the most common word for 'bedroom', if you need to be more precise, you can use the full term la chambre à coucher. This phrase literally translates to 'the room for sleeping'.

So, when would you use this longer version? Chambre à coucher is primarily used in contexts where specificity is key. You'll often see it in real estate listings, architectural plans, or furniture advertisements to clearly distinguish the main sleeping quarters from other rooms like a chambre d'amis (guest room) or a bureau (office).

In everyday, casual conversation, using la chambre à coucher can sound a bit formal or even slightly dated. When talking about your own room with friends or family, simply saying ma chambre is much more natural and common.

The key difference is function. A chambre is any room with a bed, which could be a child's room or a guest room. A chambre à coucher specifically implies the primary bedroom intended for sleeping, often the master bedroom.

For French learners, it's essential to recognize chambre à coucher when you read or hear it, especially in formal contexts like renting an apartment. However, for your own daily use, sticking with chambre is perfectly fine and will make you sound more like a native speaker.

💡 * Nous avons acheté de nouveaux meubles pour notre chambre à coucher.

• L'appartement dispose d'une grande chambre à coucher et d'une plus petite chambre d'enfant.
• Sur le plan, la chambre à coucher est indiquée à côté de la salle de bains.
• Je passe la plupart de mon temps dans ma chambre, pas seulement pour y coucher.

The 'master bedroom' – La suite parentale

In modern French, the standard term for a 'master bedroom,' particularly one that includes an adjoining private bathroom, is la suite parentale.

Breaking it down, suite means 'suite' (as in a hotel suite), and parentale is the adjective for 'parental.' So, the literal translation is 'the parental suite.' This name reflects the modern concept of the master bedroom as a private retreat for the parents.

The term la suite parentale almost always implies a main bedroom that comes with its own private bathroom (une salle de bain attenante) and often a walk-in closet (un dressing). It signifies a complete, self-contained space.

You might also encounter la chambre principale (the main bedroom) or the more traditional la chambre des parents (the parents' room). However, la suite parentale is the most common and specific term used in real estate, architecture, and contemporary design to describe a bedroom with these extra amenities.

💡 * Notre nouvelle maison a une grande suite parentale avec un balcon.

• La suite parentale comprend une chambre, un dressing et une salle de bain privée.
• Ils ont transformé le grenier en une magnifique suite parentale.
• À l'étage, vous trouverez trois chambres et une suite parentale.

The 'guest room' – La chambre d’amis

The standard French term for a 'guest room' is la chambre d’amis.

Breaking it down literally, chambre means 'room' and amis means 'friends.' The phrase translates directly to 'the room of friends,' emphasizing its purpose for welcoming visitors.

The structure uses the preposition de (contracted to d’ before the vowel in amis) to show the room's function. Since amis (friends) is plural, it always refers to a room for guests in general, not just one friend.

This is the most common and universally understood term for a spare bedroom intended for visitors in a home. It is used in both formal and informal contexts.

💡 * Tu peux dormir dans la chambre d’amis ce soir. (You can sleep in the guest room tonight.)

• Nous avons préparé la chambre d’amis pour nos invités. (We have prepared the guest room for our guests.)
• La chambre d’amis est un peu petite, mais confortable. (The guest room is a little small, but comfortable.)
• Est-ce que la chambre d’amis a sa propre salle de bain ? (Does the guest room have its own bathroom?)

The 'child's room' – La chambre d’enfant

The most direct and common way to say 'child's room' in French is la chambre d’enfant. This phrase literally translates to 'the room of a child' and is the standard term used in everyday language.

Let's break down the components: La chambre means 'the bedroom' or 'the room.' The part d’enfant is a possessive construction using de ('of') + enfant ('child'), specifying that the room belongs to or is intended for a child.

The singular form, la chambre d’enfant, is often used as a general concept. If you are referring to a specific room shared by two or more children, you should use the plural form: la chambre des enfants (the children's room).

This phrase is neutral and can be used in any context, whether you're speaking informally with friends or in more formal situations, such as describing a house in a real estate listing. It is the universally understood term.

While a child's room often contains toys, it's important not to confuse it with la salle de jeux, which specifically means 'the playroom.' A house might have both a chambre d'enfant for sleeping and a separate salle de jeux for playing.

💡 * Nous allons repeindre la chambre d’enfant ce week-end.

• Les jouets sont bien rangés dans la chambre des enfants.
• La chambre d’enfant est au deuxième étage, à côté de la nôtre.
• Elle cherche des idées de décoration pour une chambre d'enfant.

The informal 'room' or 'pad' – Ma piaule

To talk about your room or 'pad' in a very informal, slangy way, the French use the word piaule.

While the standard French word for a bedroom is chambre, piaule is the casual equivalent of 'my digs,' 'my pad,' or just 'my room.' It's typically used to refer to a bedroom or a small, modest living space, like a student's room in a dorm or a small studio apartment.

The word piaule comes from French argot (slang) and carries a very informal, personal, and cozy connotation. It’s the kind of word you would use with close friends, not in a formal setting. It often implies a simple, perhaps a bit messy, but personal sanctuary.

Grammatically, piaule is a feminine noun. Therefore, you'll always hear it as ma piaule (my room), ta piaule (your room), or sa piaule (his/her room). It's primarily used by younger generations but is widely understood by most native speakers in informal contexts.

💡 * Viens dans ma piaule, on va écouter de la musique. (Come to my room, we'll listen to music.)

• J'ai passé tout le week-end à ranger ma piaule. (I spent the whole weekend tidying up my pad.)
• Il a une petite piaule sympa près de l'université. (He has a nice little room near the university.)

The 'dormitory' – Le dortoir

The French word for a 'dormitory' or 'dorm room' is le dortoir. It specifically refers to a large, communal room where multiple people sleep.

This term is most often used in the context of boarding schools (internats), youth hostels (auberges de jeunesse), monasteries, or military barracks. It emphasizes the shared nature of the sleeping space, rather than a private room.

Le dortoir is a masculine noun. Therefore, you use masculine articles like un dortoir (a dormitory) and le dortoir (the dormitory). The plural form is les dortoirs.

💡 * Les lits dans le dortoir de l'auberge de jeunesse sont superposés.

• À l'internat, je partageais un dortoir avec dix autres garçons.
• Le surveillant a demandé le silence dans le dortoir.

The 'sleeping area' or 'nook' – Le coin nuit

The “sleeping area” or “nook” – Le coin nuit. Literally translating to “the night corner,” this term is a practical and common way to describe a dedicated sleeping space that isn't a full bedroom.

You'll most often encounter le coin nuit in the context of real estate and interior design. It’s particularly used for studio apartments or open-plan spaces where the sleeping area is an alcove or a designated part of a larger room.

A key distinction is that a coin nuit is not a chambre (bedroom). A chambre is a separate, enclosed room, whereas a coin nuit is an integrated, often unenclosed, part of another living space, like a living room.

This term is essential if you're searching for apartments in France, especially in cities. An ad for a studio avec coin nuit tells you that while it's one main room, there is a specific, separate-feeling space for the bed.

💡 * Dans mon studio, le coin nuit est séparé du salon par une bibliothèque. (In my studio, the sleeping area is separated from the living room by a bookshelf.)

• L'annonce précise que l'appartement dispose d'un coin nuit en mezzanine. (The listing specifies that the apartment has a sleeping nook on a mezzanine level.)
• Nous avons transformé une partie du bureau en coin nuit pour les invités. (We transformed part of the office into a sleeping area for guests.)

1. Understanding 'Ma Turne': The Student Slang for 'Room'

In French slang, ma turne is a very informal and slightly dated way to refer to one's room, particularly a small, simple, or messy student room. It's the equivalent of saying "my digs," "my den," or "my little hole" in English. The term carries a familiar, often self-deprecating but affectionate, tone.

The word turne is primarily used by students and young people in casual conversation. You would use it with friends or peers, but it would be out of place in a formal setting or when speaking with older adults or figures of authority. It specifically evokes the image of a personal, lived-in space, not just any generic room.

While turne can imply that a room is small, basic, or untidy, it's not necessarily negative. Using ma turne often shows a sense of ownership and fondness for one's personal sanctuary, despite its imperfections. It's a word that paints a vivid picture of student life.

💡 * Viens dans ma turne, on va écouter de la musique. (Come to my room, we'll listen to music.)

• J'ai passé tout le dimanche à ranger ma turne, c'était un vrai bazar. (I spent all Sunday cleaning my digs, it was a real mess.)
• Ma turne n'est pas grande, mais elle est confortable. (My room isn't big, but it's cozy.)
• Il loue une petite turne près de l'université. (He rents a small room near the university.)

Are there other ways to say 'bedroom' in French?

Are there other ways to say “bedroom” in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say “bedroom” in French. But the language is full of specific terms, from architectural vocabulary to informal slang, that can add nuance to your conversations.

You can uncover more vocabulary by searching online for terms like 'vocabulaire de l'immobilier français' (French real estate vocabulary) to see how professionals describe different types of rooms.

When you encounter a new word for a room, always check the context. A 'piaule' (digs, pad) is much more informal than a 'chambre à coucher', and using the wrong term could be confusing.

Pay attention as you watch French movies or TV shows, especially scenes that take place in a home. Listening to how characters refer to their personal spaces is a fantastic way to learn naturally.

For a deeper look into related words, like 'guest room' or 'master suite', the WordReference entry for 'chambre' provides many examples and compound terms that are incredibly useful.

I hope this guide has been helpful for decorating your French vocabulary. Let's end with a cozy French proverb: 'À chaque oiseau, son nid est beau.' (To each bird, his own nest is beautiful.)