bilikbilik

Bilikbilik is a term used in Malay- and Indonesian-speaking contexts to describe a cluster of small, private rooms within a larger building. The word is formed by reduplication of bilik, meaning "room," and is often written as bilik-bilik or bilikbilik. The reduplication conveys plurality or a diminutive, compact scale and is a common pattern in describing living spaces that are subdivided into multiple private compartments.

In usage, bilikbilik may refer to a range of settings. Historically it can describe the arrangement of private chambers in traditional houses or collective compounds where several households share a courtyard or facilities. In urban and modern contexts, the term is frequently used for budget lodgings, student dormitories, or micro-apartments where several private rooms exist within a single building and residents share kitchens, bathrooms, and common areas. The term is also encountered in literature and media as a generic descriptor for intimate, room-based domestic interiors.

Regional variation exists in spelling and nuance; bilik-bilik is more commonly used in formal Malay, while bilikbilik appears in branding or colloquial speech. The concept underlines how space is partitioned to provide privacy within communal living in densely populated areas.