Definition
A person who shares a house with others, typically as equals rather than family members.
Etymology
Housemate combines 'house' with 'mate' from Middle Low German 'mate' meaning 'messmate' - someone who shared meals ('meat') at the same table. Originally used for sailors sharing food rations, 'mate' evolved to mean any companion or partner. The compound 'housemate' emerged in the 1960s as young adults increasingly lived in shared housing arrangements outside traditional family structures, needing a word for non-romantic, non-family cohabitants.
Kelly Says
When you call someone your housemate, you're using sailor language! 'Mate' originally meant the person who literally shared your food rations on a ship. The word captures how sharing a home creates the same kind of practical partnership that kept sailors alive at sea - you depend on each other for daily survival, even if you're not related or romantic.
Translations
ARالعربية
ابن البيت
abn al-beet
CACatalà
compañer de casa
kohm-pah-nyeh-roh deh kah-sah
CSČeština
domovník
doh-moh-vee-nik
DADansk
husekammerat
hoy-suh-kah-meh-rat
DEDeutsch
Hausgenosse
hows-guh-noh-zeh
ELΕλληνικά
ππλεσιτερι
poh-lee-seh-tee
ESEspañol
compañero de casa
kohm-pah-nyeh-roh deh kah-sah
FAفارسی
سبلای
sahb-lah-ee
FISuomi
kotiavuttaja
koh-tee-ah-voo-tah-jah
FRFrançais
compagnon de maison
kohm-pah-nyoh deh may-zohn
HEעברית
באויל באויל
sahb-lah sah-bah-lah
HUMagyar
társ lakó
tahrs lah-koh
IDBahasa Indonesia
teman rumah
teh-mahn room-ah
ITItaliano
compagno di casa
kohm-pah-gnoh dee kah-sah
KKKK
партнер дома
pahrt-neh-ehr dom-ah
MSBahasa Melayu
teman rumah
teh-mahn room-ah
NLNederlands
huisgenoot
hoy-suh-noh-t
NONorsk
husekammerat
hoy-suh-kah-meh-rat
PLPolski
sąsiad domowy
sah-see-ad dom-oh-vee
PTPortuguês
morador da casa
moh-rah-doh dah kah-sah
RORomână
locuitor al casei
loh-koo-ee-tor ah lah kah-seh
RUРусский
партнер дома
pahrt-neh-ehr dom-ah
SVSvenska
husrätt
hoy-sreh-t
SWKiswahili
mkazi wa nyumba
m-kah-zee wah nyoom-bah
TLTL
kasambahay
kah-sah-bah-hay
TRTürkçe
ev arkada\u015f\u0131
ev ahr-kah-dah-sh
UKУкраїнська
партнер дома
pahrt-neh-ehr dom-ah
VITiếng Việt
ngùi ội
ngoh-ee ee-ee