servants' quarters; room for servants
Refers to a room or area in a traditional Japanese house or estate where servants lived or worked.
昔の大きな家には、下部屋があった。
In old large houses, there were servants' quarters.
Compound of 下 (しも, 'lower' or 'servant') and 部屋 (へや, 'room'). The reading しもべや reflects the older meaning of 下 as 'servant'.