The word 房间 is formed by combining two characters, each contributing a clear spatial idea: 房 (fáng) means "house" or "building", representing the larger structure, and 间 (jiān) means "space between" or "compartment", indicating a partitioned or enclosed area. Together, they conceptually progress from the general (a building) to the specific (a subdivided space within it), creating the composite idea of a "room", an internal space division within a larger architectural whole.