宿舍 (sù shè) means 'dormitory' — a building or part of a building where students or workers live, especially on campus or at a workplace. The character 宿 (sù) means 'to stay overnight' or 'lodging', and 舍 (shè) means 'residence', 'dwelling', or 'building'. Together, they literally convey 'a place for overnight staying', which perfectly captures the function of a dormitory. It’s commonly used in educational contexts (e.g., university dorms) but also applies to company-provided housing or military barracks.

This word is neutral in register and widely understood across all age groups and regions in Mandarin-speaking areas. While it can refer to any shared residential facility, it almost always implies communal living with shared facilities like bathrooms or kitchens. Unlike the more formal 住所 (zhù suǒ, 'residence') or informal 合租屋 (hé zū wū, 'shared rental apartment'), 宿舍 carries an institutional connotation — typically managed by a school, organization, or employer.