Do you live in an apartment?
Some English words seem simple, so students overlook them. Many students—even high-level students—have trouble talking about where they live.
False friends
You may have some "false friends"—words that seem the same in English and your first language, but are not. You think you understand them, but either the meaning or the nuance is different.
For instance, many Japanese speakers have trouble saying "apartment" in English. The word アパート (apato) sounds a lot like "apartment", but it’s not the same. The Japanese word アパート has the nuance of cheap and flimsy, while to an English speaker, an apartment can be any price or quality.
Another false friend is the Japanese word マンション (mansion). In English, it means is a huge house, but in Japanese, a mansion is basically a well-built apartment. It would be very tough to explain to your English coworker the idea of a ワンルームマンション (one-room mansion).
House, apartment, room or place?
Another common mistake is saying, "I need to clean my room", when you mean your entire house or apartment. In English usage, "my room" usually means "my bedroom." The nuance of "my room" is childish.
While it's possible to say "my house" or "my apartment", it's probably most common to say "my place". The nuance is very slightly casual, but so is talking about where you live—that topic wouldn't come up in a formal presentation.
Study English usage
Ask your teacher, "What would you use?" Your teacher is a native-level English speaker. So they will have advice to help you choose the right word.
Even if an English word like "my apartment" or "my place" feels strange, you should still use it. The language gap can be challenging to cross, but it’s necessary—especially in speaking tests, where you are often asked about were you live or have lived.
In your next lesson, try talking about where you live.
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my place [noun]—where I live; casual or natural spoken English.
flimsy [adjective]—not strong, easily broken or damaged.
false friend [noun]—a word or expression that has a similar form to one in a person's native language, but a different meaning (for example, the English magazine, or journal; and the French magasin, which means "shop").