das  Gästezimmer

B1

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈɡɛːstəˌtsɪmɐ/

🏠 What does "das Gästezimmer" mean?

A Gästezimmer is a room in an apartment or house primarily intended for accommodating guests. It's essentially a spare room set up for visitors staying overnight. It's typically furnished with a bed and basic furniture.

The word is a compound noun formed from "Gäste" (plural of Gast, meaning guest) and "Zimmer" (meaning room).

🧐 Grammar Deep Dive: Gästezimmer

The word "Gästezimmer" is a neuter noun. The article is therefore das.

Example Sentences

1. Wir haben ein kleines Gästezimmer für Besuch.
   (We have a small guest room for visitors.)
2. Das Sofa im Gästezimmer kann man ausklappen.
   (The sofa in the guest room can be folded out.)
3. Die Handtücher für die Gästezimmer liegen im Schrank.
   (The towels for the guest rooms are in the closet.)

🛋️ How and When to Use "Gästezimmer"

The term Gästezimmer is primarily used in a private context to describe a room available for overnight guests.

• In private homes: "Wir richten gerade das Gästezimmer für Tante Helga her." (We are currently preparing the guest room for Aunt Helga.)
• In smaller hotels or guesthouses (Pensionen): Sometimes the term is also used here, often synonymously with "Hotelzimmer", but potentially implying simpler accommodation.
• Comparison: While a Hotelzimmer is primarily rented out commercially, a Gästezimmer is often part of a private living space, which might be reflected in its furnishings and atmosphere.

It implies hospitality and readiness to welcome visitors.

💡 Mnemonics to Remember

Article Mnemonic: Remember das Zimmer (the room). Since Gästezimmer ends with Zimmer, it takes the same neuter article: das Gästezimmer. Think of a DAShing guest room!

Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine your guests (Gäste) comfortably settled in their own room (Zimmer). Combine them: Guests' Room = Gästezimmer. Easy! 😊

🔄 Synonyms and Antonyms

⚠️ Note: Antonyms here describe different room functions, not direct opposites of 'guest room'.

😄 A Little Joke

Warum hat das Gästezimmer Angst vor dem Staubsauger?
(Why is the guest room afraid of the vacuum cleaner?)

Weil es fürchtet, seine Privatsphäre zu verlieren, wenn die Tür offen steht und der Sauger „zu Gast“ ist!
(Because it's afraid of losing its privacy when the door is open and the vacuum cleaner is 'visiting'!)

✍️ A Little Poem

Ein Raum steht bereit, so hell und rein,
für Freunde und Familie, groß und klein.
Das Gästezimmer, wohlbekannt,
ein Bett, ein Stuhl, an jeder Wand.
Hier schläft der Gast, die Nacht hindurch,
behaglich, sicher, ohne Furcht.

(A room awaits, so bright and clean,
For friends and family, tall and lean.
The guest room, known quite well,
A bed, a chair, where guests can dwell.
Here sleeps the guest, the whole night through,
Cozy, safe, with skies of blue.)

❓ Riddle Time

Ich bin ein Zimmer, doch nicht deins allein,
ich lade Besucher zum Bleiben ein.
Ein Bett steht oft in meiner Mitte,
für Freunde, Verwandte, eine nette Sitte.

Was bin ich?... Das Gästezimmer

(I am a room, but not just yours alone,
I invite visitors to make themselves at home.
A bed often stands right in my space,
For friends and relatives, a welcoming place.

What am I?
... The guest room)

🧩 Word Building Blocks: Gästezimmer

The word Gästezimmer is a compound noun (Kompositum).

• Gäste: The plural of der Gast (the guest). Refers to the people visiting.
• Zimmer: das Zimmer (the room). Refers to a room within a building.

In German compound nouns, the gender is determined by the last part of the word. Since Zimmer is neuter (das Zimmer), Gästezimmer is also neuter (das Gästezimmer).