Speakeasy Senior Member Canada Joined 4053 days ago 507 posts - 1098 votes Studies: German
| Message 1 of 5 04 May 2015 at 5:18pm | IP Logged |
Could someone please explain the terms Einzelzimmer and Doppelzimmer for me? While this might seem like a rather simple matter, virtually all of the basic German courses and dictionaries that I have consulted give, what-are-for-me, the following ambiguous translations:
Einzelzimmer = Single Room
Doppelzimmer = Double Room
Assuming that there is really only one room involved, for me, the ambiguity resides in: (a) the number of beds in the room, (b) the size of the beds in the room; that is, single beds versus double beds, and (c) the number of persons permissible per room. For example:
Einzelzimmer / Single Room
Does this refer to one room, with one single bed, for one person?
Can it also refer to one room, with one double bed, for either one person or two persons?
Doppelzimmer / Double Room
Does this refer to one room, with two single beds, for either one person or two persons?
Does this refer to one room, with one double bed, for either one person or two persons?
Can it also refer to one room, with two double beds, for either one person or two persons?
Grazie mille!
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patrickwilken Senior Member Germany radiant-flux.net Joined 4534 days ago 1546 posts - 3200 votes Studies: German
| Message 2 of 5 04 May 2015 at 6:22pm | IP Logged |
It's the same as in English: Single room (1 person) or Double room (2 people).
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daegga Tetraglot Senior Member Austria lang-8.com/553301 Joined 4522 days ago 1076 posts - 1792 votes Speaks: German*, EnglishC2, Swedish, Norwegian Studies: Danish, French, Finnish, Icelandic
| Message 3 of 5 04 May 2015 at 10:38pm | IP Logged |
Einzelzimmer = a room for 1, either you don't have to or you mustn't share it, usually both
Doppelzimmer = a room for 2 (you pay for two - you can use it alone though)
It does not necessary tell you anything about how many beds there are and what kind of beds they are. You can have a "Einzelzimmer" with a double bed, but you are paying for using it alone. Your "Doppelzimmer" could be any kind of bed size or several beds supporting 2 persons (or more - but you pay for 2). Everything else is additional information that may or may not be provided.
Sometimes you find an additional category "EP in DZ" (Einzelperson in Doppelzimmer) which means you are paying for 1 person but are guaranteed to have a room that could theoretically house 2 persons (ie. you have more space). This is mostly relevant when food is included in the price - it's usually calculated like a double room but food only for 1 person.
Edited by daegga on 04 May 2015 at 11:05pm
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Bakunin Diglot Senior Member Switzerland outerkhmer.blogspot. Joined 5131 days ago 531 posts - 1126 votes Speaks: German*, Thai Studies: Khmer
| Message 4 of 5 05 May 2015 at 8:32pm | IP Logged |
What I usually do in situation like these is to do a Google image search.
Einzelzimmer
Doppelzimmer
It doesn't always help, but it will surprisingly often point you in the right direction.
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Speakeasy Senior Member Canada Joined 4053 days ago 507 posts - 1098 votes Studies: German
| Message 5 of 5 06 May 2015 at 7:54pm | IP Logged |
To all,
Thank you very much for your edifying comments. Although I have travelled a fair amount throughout Canada and the United States, where "single room" and "double room" are often used, I have always been somewhat mystified by what the terms actually meant. For example, to avoid confusion, I would often request "one room for one person", to which the hotel staff might reply "I've got a double, but I'll charge you for a single" and, when entering the room, discovered that the room was furnished with two double beds. So, what was "double", the number of beds or the normal occupancy rate (that is, two person minimum charge)?
Vielen Dank!
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