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Der Besprechungsraum ist frei.

Der Besprechungsraum ist frei.
The meeting room is available.
FromLesson 52inHardcore German
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Breakdown of Der Besprechungsraum ist frei.

sein
to be
der Besprechungsraum
the meeting room
frei
available
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“How do German cases work?”
German has four grammatical cases: nominative (subject), accusative (direct object), dative (indirect object), and genitive (possession). The case determines the form of articles and adjectives. For example, "the dog" is "der Hund" as a subject but "den Hund" as a direct object.

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More from this lesson

der BesprechungsraumfreiKönnen Sie mir den Besprechungsraum zeigen, bitte?der KopiererDer Kopierer steht neben der Tür und druckt heute schnell.weiterleitenWenn der Kopierer nicht funktioniert, leiten wir die Datei weiter.der Stempel

Questions & Answers about Der Besprechungsraum ist frei.

What does the article Der tell me?
It’s the nominative masculine singular definite article. It marks Besprechungsraum as a masculine noun and the subject of the sentence. If the noun were neuter or feminine, you’d see Das or Die (as sentence-initial forms of das/die), respectively.
Why is Besprechungsraum written as one word and capitalized?
German forms compound nouns by writing the parts together, and all nouns are capitalized. Besprechungsraum = Besprechung (meeting) + linking s + Raum (room). The little s is normal in many compounds and helps the word flow.
How do I pronounce the sentence naturally?
  • Der: short “dehr” with a light, often back-of-the-throat German r.
  • Besprechungs-: stress the syllable -sprech- (be-SPRECH-ungs). The cluster sch is “sh,” and the ch after e is the soft “ich” sound.
  • -raum: au like “ow” in “cow.”
  • ist: short “ist.”
  • frei: ei like “eye.”
Why doesn’t frei take an ending (like “freier”)?
Because it’s a predicate adjective after the linking verb sein. Predicate adjectives stay in the base form: Der Raum ist frei. If you put the adjective before the noun, it takes an ending: der freie Besprechungsraum.
What’s the difference between frei, leer, verfügbar, and offen here?
  • frei: unoccupied/available right now.
  • leer: empty (no one or nothing inside), but not necessarily available to use.
  • verfügbar: available (more formal/neutral, often in schedules or systems).
  • offen: physically open (door is open).
  • Common opposites: besetzt / belegt = occupied/taken.
Can I drop the article and say Besprechungsraum ist frei?
Not in a normal full sentence—German generally needs the article: Der Besprechungsraum ist frei. On signs or schedules you may see elliptical notes like Besprechungsraum frei or just Frei/Besetzt.
When would I use ein instead of der?
  • Ein Besprechungsraum ist frei = one/at least one meeting room is free (non-specific).
  • Der Besprechungsraum ist frei = that specific room (known from context) is free.
What case is the noun in, and how does it change in other cases?

Here it’s nominative (subject). Other cases:

  • Accusative: Ich reserviere den Besprechungsraum.
  • Dative: Im Besprechungsraum (= in dem Besprechungsraum).
  • Genitive: Die Tür des Besprechungsraums ist zu.
    Note the genitive ending -s at the end: Besprechungsraums.
What’s the plural of Besprechungsraum?
Besprechungsräume (with an umlaut on a → ä in Räume). Example: Die Besprechungsräume sind frei.
Why is it Der and not Das? I often hear das with German nouns.
Because Raum is masculine (der Raum). In compounds, the last element determines the gender, so Besprechungsraum is masculine. Note: Zimmer is neuter (das Zimmer), but Raum is masculine—gender is lexical, not always “logical.”
What’s that little s doing in Besprechungsraum?
It’s a linking Fugen‑s used in many compounds (especially after words ending in -ung). It’s not a genitive ending; it just makes the compound sound natural. Without it (Besprechungraum) would be incorrect.
How else can I say that the room is available?
  • Der Besprechungsraum ist verfügbar.
  • Der Besprechungsraum steht zur Verfügung.
  • Add time/stance adverbs for nuance: gerade (right now), noch (still), schon (already), wieder (again):
    • Der Besprechungsraum ist gerade/noch/schon/wieder frei.
How do I say the opposite (it’s taken)?
  • Der Besprechungsraum ist besetzt.
  • Der Besprechungsraum ist belegt.
    Nuance: besetzt = occupied (someone is in there). belegt = taken/occupied/reserved (may or may not currently have someone inside). Both are common.
Can I move parts of the sentence around?

Yes—German main clauses keep the finite verb in second position:

  • Heute ist der Besprechungsraum frei.
  • Nach dem Meeting ist der Besprechungsraum frei.
    Fronting Frei is possible but emphatic/poetic: Frei ist der Besprechungsraum.
Are there common synonyms for Besprechungsraum?
  • Konferenzraum: conference room (often larger/formal).
  • Sitzungszimmer (CH) / Besprechungszimmer: meeting room (with Zimmer, often smaller).
  • Tagungsraum: meeting/conference room (hotels/events).
  • Meetingraum: widely used, informal/Anglicism.
    Beware: Sprechzimmer is a doctor’s consultation room, not a meeting room.
Does frei ever mean “free of charge”?
It can, in certain phrases: Der Eintritt ist frei (admission is free). With rooms, frei normally means “unoccupied.” To say “free of charge,” prefer kostenlos or gratis: Der Raum ist kostenlos (the room is free of charge).