An alcove is a place in a room where the wall is built further back than the rest of the wall, so a little space sits inside that step. It is not a separate room with its own door. It is still the same room, only a pocket of it.

An alcove is a place in a room alcove是房間裡的一個地方 where the wall is built further back than the rest of the wall那裡的牆比其他牆面更往後退, so a little space sits inside that step所以那個凹進去的地方會形成一小塊空間。It is not a separate room with its own door它不是一間有自己的門、獨立出來的房間。It is still the same room它還是同一個房間, only a pocket of it只是其中一個凹進去的角落。

People put a bed, a desk, a sofa, or shelves there. In older European houses a bed often stood in an alcove, with a curtain you could pull across for privacy.

People put a bed, a desk, a sofa, or shelves there人們會在那裡放床、書桌、沙發或書架。In older European houses a bed often stood in an alcove在比較老的歐洲房子裡，床常常就放在alcove裡, with a curtain you could pull across for privacy再拉一塊簾子過來遮擋隱私。

Today the word also stretches a little: people use it for any snug, set-back corner, even a seat in a thick wall, or a small nook in a garden. It sounds a bit old-fashioned and a bit fine; in plain talk many people would just say a corner or a recess.

Today the word also stretches a little現在這個字的用法也稍微擴大了一些: people use it for any snug, set-back corner人們會拿它指任何一個內縮、舒適的角落, even a seat in a thick wall甚至是厚牆裡的一個座位, or a small nook in a garden或花園裡的一個小角落。It sounds a bit old-fashioned and a bit fine這個字聽起來有點老派又有點文雅; in plain talk many people would just say a corner or a recess平常講話很多人就直接說corner或recess。