Flatmate / housemate
FLAT-mayt
Informal Neutral
What it really means
A person you share a flat (flatmate) or house (housemate) with. The American word is "roommate", but in the UK a roommate would share your actual bedroom. Choosing good flatmates matters as much as the property.
Chinese explanation
与你合租公寓（flatmate）或房子（housemate）的人。美式说法是"roommate"，但在英国 roommate 指同住一间卧室的人。选对室友和选对房子一样重要。
Example conversation
A: How many flatmates do you have?
B: Three — we share the kitchen and living room.
A：你有几个室友？
B：三个——我们共用厨房和客厅。
Official sources
Rules and amounts change — confirm important details with the official source.
Go deeper
All Renting & Housing
Reviewed by the UK Decoded editorial team
· Last checked 24 July 2026 · Report a mistake