Der Besprechungsraum ist frei.

The meeting room is available.

Breakdown of Der Besprechungsraum ist frei.

• sein: to be
• der Besprechungsraum: the meeting room
• frei: available

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).