recámara

Recámara is a Spanish noun that primarily denotes a room used for sleeping within a house. It is widely used in many Latin American countries, including Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, and Argentina, among others. In Spain, other terms such as habitación, dormitorio, or cuarto are more common for the same concept. Phrases like la recámara principal or la recámara matrimonial refer to the master or main bedroom.

Beyond its core residential sense, recámara can also indicate a private chamber or antechamber in historical or architectural contexts, where the term emphasizes a separate, enclosed space within a building.

In technical language, the word recámara appears in expressions that describe a chamber within a device or mechanism, such as la recámara de combustión in engines or the recámara de un arma de fuego. In these uses, the meaning aligns with the idea of a closed, enclosed space designed to contain or receive something.

Regional variation is common in usage, with cuartos, habitaciones, dormitorio and alcoba serving as alternatives depending on country and register. The term recámara remains a standard option in many Latin American varieties and in formal or literary Spanish.