🏙️ Cities

⏱ 12 min read

In this lesson you will learn useful everyday English city vocabulary and expressions for talking about places, neighborhoods, buildings, transportation, and things you can find around a city. Each English word or phrase includes translations in Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese.

🟢 Basic City Vocabulary

🏙️ City

🇪🇸 Spanish: Ciudad
🇫🇷 French: Ville
🇩🇪 German: Stadt
🇮🇹 Italian: Città
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Cidade
🏢 Building

🇪🇸 Spanish: Edificio
🇫🇷 French: Bâtiment / Immeuble
🇩🇪 German: Gebäude
🇮🇹 Italian: Edificio
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Edifício / Prédio
🛣️ Street

🇪🇸 Spanish: Calle
🇫🇷 French: Rue
🇩🇪 German: Straße
🇮🇹 Italian: Strada / Via
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Rua
🏘️ Neighborhood

🇪🇸 Spanish: Barrio
🇫🇷 French: Quartier
🇩🇪 German: Viertel / Stadtteil
🇮🇹 Italian: Quartiere
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Bairro
🚦 Traffic light

🇪🇸 Spanish: Semáforo
🇫🇷 French: Feu de signalisation
🇩🇪 German: Ampel
🇮🇹 Italian: Semaforo
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Semáforo
🏙️ City center / Downtown

🇪🇸 Spanish: Centro de la ciudad
🇫🇷 French: Centre-ville
🇩🇪 German: Stadtzentrum / Innenstadt
🇮🇹 Italian: Centro della città
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Centro da cidade

🟡 Places Around the City

🏨 Hotel

🇪🇸 Spanish: Hotel
🇫🇷 French: Hôtel
🇩🇪 German: Hotel
🇮🇹 Italian: Hotel
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Hotel
🏪 Store

🇪🇸 Spanish: Tienda
🇫🇷 French: Magasin / Boutique
🇩🇪 German: Laden / Geschäft
🇮🇹 Italian: Negozio
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Loja
🏛️ Museum

🇪🇸 Spanish: Museo
🇫🇷 French: Musée
🇩🇪 German: Museum
🇮🇹 Italian: Museo
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Museu
🌳 Park

🇪🇸 Spanish: Parque
🇫🇷 French: Parc
🇩🇪 German: Park
🇮🇹 Italian: Parco
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Parque
🍽️ Restaurant

🇪🇸 Spanish: Restaurante
🇫🇷 French: Restaurant
🇩🇪 German: Restaurant
🇮🇹 Italian: Ristorante
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Restaurante
📚 Library

🇪🇸 Spanish: Biblioteca
🇫🇷 French: Bibliothèque
🇩🇪 German: Bibliothek
🇮🇹 Italian: Biblioteca
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Biblioteca
💊 Pharmacy

🇪🇸 Spanish: Farmacia
🇫🇷 French: Pharmacie
🇩🇪 German: Apotheke
🇮🇹 Italian: Farmacia
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Farmácia
🏦 Bank

🇪🇸 Spanish: Banco
🇫🇷 French: Banque
🇩🇪 German: Bank
🇮🇹 Italian: Banca
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Banco

🔵 Getting Around the City

🚇 Subway

🇪🇸 Spanish: Metro
🇫🇷 French: Métro
🇩🇪 German: U-Bahn
🇮🇹 Italian: Metropolitana / Metro
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Metrô / Metro
🚌 Bus station

🇪🇸 Spanish: Estación de autobuses
🇫🇷 French: Gare routière
🇩🇪 German: Busbahnhof
🇮🇹 Italian: Stazione degli autobus
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Estação de autocarros / Rodoviária
🚏 Bus stop

🇪🇸 Spanish: Parada de autobús
🇫🇷 French: Arrêt de bus
🇩🇪 German: Bushaltestelle
🇮🇹 Italian: Fermata dell'autobus
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Paragem de autocarro / Ponto de ônibus
🚕 Taxi

🇪🇸 Spanish: Taxi
🇫🇷 French: Taxi
🇩🇪 German: Taxi
🇮🇹 Italian: Taxi
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Táxi
🚶 Pedestrian

🇪🇸 Spanish: Peatón / Peatona
🇫🇷 French: Piéton / Piétonne
🇩🇪 German: Fußgänger / Fußgängerin
🇮🇹 Italian: Pedone
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Peão / Peoa
⛲ Town square / Plaza

🇪🇸 Spanish: Plaza
🇫🇷 French: Place
🇩🇪 German: Platz
🇮🇹 Italian: Piazza
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Praça

🧠 Talking About Places in a City

💡 Use there is / there are when saying that a place or thing exists somewhere.

There is a museum near the park.
🇪🇸 Hay un museo cerca del parque.
🇫🇷 Il y a un musée près du parc.
🇩🇪 Es gibt ein Museum in der Nähe des Parks.
🇮🇹 C'è un museo vicino al parco.
🇵🇹 Há um museu perto do parque.

There are many restaurants in this neighborhood.
🇪🇸 Hay muchos restaurantes en este barrio.
🇫🇷 Il y a beaucoup de restaurants dans ce quartier.
🇩🇪 Es gibt viele Restaurants in diesem Viertel.
🇮🇹 Ci sono molti ristoranti in questo quartiere.
🇵🇹 Há muitos restaurantes neste bairro.
💡 Use is / are when describing the location of a specific place.

The hotel is in the city center.
🇪🇸 El hotel está en el centro de la ciudad.
🇫🇷 L'hôtel est dans le centre-ville.
🇩🇪 Das Hotel liegt im Stadtzentrum.
🇮🇹 L'hotel è nel centro della città.
🇵🇹 O hotel fica no centro da cidade.

The pharmacy is next to the bank.
🇪🇸 La farmacia está al lado del banco.
🇫🇷 La pharmacie est à côté de la banque.
🇩🇪 Die Apotheke ist neben der Bank.
🇮🇹 La farmacia è accanto alla banca.
🇵🇹 A farmácia fica ao lado do banco.
💡 A simple way to ask whether something is available nearby is Is there...?

Is there a subway station near here?
🇪🇸 ¿Hay una estación de metro cerca de aquí?
🇫🇷 Y a-t-il une station de métro près d'ici ?
🇩🇪 Gibt es hier in der Nähe eine U-Bahn-Station?
🇮🇹 C'è una stazione della metro qui vicino?
🇵🇹 Há uma estação de metrô perto daqui?

Is there a good restaurant in this neighborhood?
🇪🇸 ¿Hay algún buen restaurante en este barrio?
🇫🇷 Y a-t-il un bon restaurant dans ce quartier ?
🇩🇪 Gibt es in diesem Viertel ein gutes Restaurant?
🇮🇹 C'è un buon ristorante in questo quartiere?
🇵🇹 Há algum bom restaurante neste bairro?

💬 Everyday Phrases About the City

🏨 Our hotel is on a quiet street near the city center.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Nuestro hotel está en una calle tranquila cerca del centro de la ciudad.
🇫🇷 French: Notre hôtel se trouve dans une rue calme près du centre-ville.
🇩🇪 German: Unser Hotel liegt in einer ruhigen Straße in der Nähe des Stadtzentrums.
🇮🇹 Italian: Il nostro hotel si trova in una strada tranquilla vicino al centro della città.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: O nosso hotel fica numa rua tranquila perto do centro da cidade.
🚇 During the week I take the subway to work to avoid traffic.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Durante la semana voy al trabajo en metro para evitar el tráfico.
🇫🇷 French: Pendant la semaine, je vais au travail en métro pour éviter les embouteillages.
🇩🇪 German: Unter der Woche fahre ich mit der U-Bahn zur Arbeit, um den Verkehr zu vermeiden.
🇮🇹 Italian: Durante la settimana vado al lavoro in metro per evitare il traffico.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Durante a semana vou para o trabalho de metrô para evitar o trânsito.
🌳 On Sundays, many families spend the afternoon in the park.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Los domingos muchas familias pasan la tarde en el parque.
🇫🇷 French: Le dimanche, de nombreuses familles passent l'après-midi dans le parc.
🇩🇪 German: Am Sonntag verbringen viele Familien den Nachmittag im Park.
🇮🇹 Italian: La domenica molte famiglie passano il pomeriggio al parco.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Aos domingos muitas famílias passam a tarde no parque.
🍽️ In our neighborhood there are several small restaurants that serve local food.

🇪🇸 Spanish: En nuestro barrio hay varios restaurantes pequeños que sirven comida local.
🇫🇷 French: Dans notre quartier, il y a plusieurs petits restaurants qui servent de la cuisine locale.
🇩🇪 German: In unserem Viertel gibt es mehrere kleine Restaurants, die lokale Küche anbieten.
🇮🇹 Italian: Nel nostro quartiere ci sono diversi piccoli ristoranti che servono cibo locale.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: No nosso bairro há vários restaurantes pequenos que servem comida local.

💬 Everyday Conversations

Looking for a place to eat

A: Is there a good restaurant near here?
B: Yes, there's a very popular one in the plaza, next to the museum.

🇪🇸 A: ¿Hay algún restaurante bueno cerca de aquí?
B: Sí, hay uno muy popular en la plaza, al lado del museo.

🇫🇷 A: Y a-t-il un bon restaurant près d'ici ?
B: Oui, il y en a un très populaire sur la place, à côté du musée.

🇩🇪 A: Gibt es hier in der Nähe ein gutes Restaurant?
B: Ja, es gibt ein sehr beliebtes auf dem Platz, neben dem Museum.

🇮🇹 A: C'è un buon ristorante qui vicino?
B: Sì, ce n'è uno molto popolare in piazza, accanto al museo.

🇵🇹 A: Há algum restaurante bom perto daqui?
B: Sim, há um muito popular na praça, ao lado do museu.
Talking about a neighborhood

A: Do you like living in this neighborhood?
B: Yes. It's quiet, and I can walk to many stores and restaurants.

🇪🇸 A: ¿Te gusta vivir en este barrio?
B: Sí. Es tranquilo y puedo ir caminando a muchas tiendas y restaurantes.

🇫🇷 A: Tu aimes vivre dans ce quartier ?
B: Oui. C'est calme et je peux aller à pied dans beaucoup de magasins et restaurants.

🇩🇪 A: Lebst du gerne in diesem Viertel?
B: Ja. Es ist ruhig und ich kann zu vielen Läden und Restaurants zu Fuß gehen.

🇮🇹 A: Ti piace vivere in questo quartiere?
B: Sì. È tranquillo e posso andare a piedi in molti negozi e ristoranti.

🇵🇹 A: Gosta de viver neste bairro?
B: Sim. É tranquilo e posso ir a pé a muitas lojas e restaurantes.

📝 Example Sentences

🏢 From the plaza, you can see some of the oldest buildings in the city.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Desde la plaza se pueden ver algunos de los edificios más antiguos de la ciudad.
🇫🇷 French: Depuis la place, on peut voir certains des plus anciens bâtiments de la ville.
🇩🇪 German: Vom Platz aus kann man einige der ältesten Gebäude der Stadt sehen.
🇮🇹 Italian: Dalla piazza si possono vedere alcuni degli edifici più antichi della città.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Da praça se podem ver alguns dos edifícios mais antigos da cidade.
🏪 We found a small store that sells products made by local artists.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Encontramos una pequeña tienda que vende productos hechos por artistas locales.
🇫🇷 French: Nous avons trouvé une petite boutique qui vend des produits fabriqués par des artistes locaux.
🇩🇪 German: Wir haben einen kleinen Laden gefunden, der Produkte von lokalen Künstlern verkauft.
🇮🇹 Italian: Abbiamo trovato un piccolo negozio che vende prodotti realizzati da artisti locali.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Encontrámos uma pequena loja que vende produtos feitos por artistas locais.
🏘️ My neighborhood changes a lot at night when the restaurants and cafés open.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Mi barrio cambia mucho por la noche cuando abren los restaurantes y cafés.
🇫🇷 French: Mon quartier change beaucoup le soir quand les restaurants et les cafés ouvrent.
🇩🇪 German: Mein Viertel verändert sich abends stark, wenn die Restaurants und Cafés öffnen.
🇮🇹 Italian: Il mio quartiere cambia molto la sera quando aprono i ristoranti e i caffè.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: O meu bairro muda muito à noite quando os restaurantes e cafés abrem.
🏛️ We spent the whole morning at the museum and then walked to the park.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Pasamos toda la mañana en el museo y después caminamos hasta el parque.
🇫🇷 French: Nous avons passé toute la matinée au musée et ensuite nous avons marché jusqu'au parc.
🇩🇪 German: Wir haben den ganzen Morgen im Museum verbracht und sind danach zum Park gelaufen.
🇮🇹 Italian: Abbiamo passato tutta la mattina al museo e poi abbiamo camminato fino al parco.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Passámos toda a manhã no museu e depois caminhámos até ao parque.
📚 The neighborhood library has a quiet room where I go to study.

🇪🇸 Spanish: La biblioteca del barrio tiene una sala tranquila donde voy a estudiar.
🇫🇷 French: La bibliothèque du quartier a une salle calme où je vais étudier.
🇩🇪 German: Die Stadtteilbibliothek hat einen ruhigen Raum, in den ich zum Lernen gehe.
🇮🇹 Italian: La biblioteca del quartiere ha una sala tranquilla dove vado a studiare.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: A biblioteca do bairro tem uma sala tranquila onde vou estudar.
🚕 When the subway service ends, we normally return to the hotel by taxi.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Cuando termina el servicio de metro, normalmente regresamos al hotel en taxi.
🇫🇷 French: Quand le service de métro se termine, nous rentrons normalement à l'hôtel en taxi.
🇩🇪 German: Wenn der U-Bahn-Betrieb endet, fahren wir normalerweise mit dem Taxi zurück zum Hotel.
🇮🇹 Italian: Quando termina il servizio della metro, di solito torniamo in hotel in taxi.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Quando o serviço de metrô termina, normalmente regressamos ao hotel de táxi.

🏆 Final Practice

Try saying each English phrase before pressing play.

  • I live in a quiet neighborhood.
  • The hotel is in the city center.
  • There is a park near my house.
  • Is there a subway station near here?
  • The pharmacy is next to the bank.
  • We're going to walk to the plaza.