Typically roommate does mean flatmate. But a new occurrence (well new for middle class folks) is renting a one bedroom place with a roommate. You can either sh

Typically roommate does mean flatmate. But a new occurrence (well new for middle class folks) is renting a one bedroom place with a roommate. You can either share the bedroom, but more commonly, one of you sleeps in the living room. Sometimes you can put up a fake wall--sort of a room divider--to make two bedrooms. It's not really normal, but it's done in absurd high cost of living cities like SF and Manhattan, NY. Then again Americans do it during college, so I'm not sure why I think it's so weird a young adult would do it. But I think it's weird.