Vocabulary - my local area
Here is some useful vocabulary to help you talk about and describe where you live in French.
| animé | lively |
| l’appartement (m) | flat |
| la banlieue | suburb |
| la banque | bank |
| la bibliothèque | library |
| le bord de la mer | seaside |
| la boucherie | butcher's |
| la boulangerie | bakery |
| la boutique | shop |
| bruyant | noisy |
| calme | calm |
| la campagne | country |
| le centre commercial | shopping centre |
| le centre sportif | leisure centre |
| le centre-ville | town centre |
| le champ | field |
| la charcuterie | pork butcher’s, deli |
| la circulation | traffic |
| le coiffeur/la coiffeuse | hairdresser’s |
| le coin | corner |
| les distractions | amusements, entertainment |
| l’église | church |
| l’embouteillage (m) | traffic jam |
| l’épicere (f) | grocer's |
| la ferme | farm |
| la fôret | forest |
| la gare | train station |
| la gare routière | bus station |
| le grand magasin | department store |
| l’hôtel (m) de ville | town hall |
| le lac | lake |
| la librairie | bookshop |
| la maison individuelle | detached house |
| la maison jumelée | semi-detached house |
| le marché | market |
| la mer | sea |
| les montagnes (fpl) | mountains |
| le musée | museum |
| le panneau | signpost |
| la pátisserie | bakery/cake shop |
| la piscine | swimming pool |
| la place | square |
| la plage | beach |
| le pont | bridge |
| la poste | post office |
| la rivière | river |
| le rond-point | roundabout |
| la route | road |
| la rue | street |
| le supermarché | supermarket |
| le village | village |
| la ville | town |
| la ville commerciale | commercial town |
| la ville historique | historical town |
| la ville industrielle | industrial town |
| la ville touristique | tourist town |
| la zone piétonne | pedestrian zone |
| animé |
| lively |
| l’appartement (m) |
| flat |
| la banlieue |
| suburb |
| la banque |
| bank |
| la bibliothèque |
| library |
| le bord de la mer |
| seaside |
| la boucherie |
| butcher's |
| la boulangerie |
| bakery |
| la boutique |
| shop |
| bruyant |
| noisy |
| calme |
| calm |
| la campagne |
| country |
| le centre commercial |
| shopping centre |
| le centre sportif |
| leisure centre |
| le centre-ville |
| town centre |
| le champ |
| field |
| la charcuterie |
| pork butcher’s, deli |
| la circulation |
| traffic |
| le coiffeur/la coiffeuse |
| hairdresser’s |
| le coin |
| corner |
| les distractions |
| amusements, entertainment |
| l’église |
| church |
| l’embouteillage (m) |
| traffic jam |
| l’épicere (f) |
| grocer's |
| la ferme |
| farm |
| la fôret |
| forest |
| la gare |
| train station |
| la gare routière |
| bus station |
| le grand magasin |
| department store |
| l’hôtel (m) de ville |
| town hall |
| le lac |
| lake |
| la librairie |
| bookshop |
| la maison individuelle |
| detached house |
| la maison jumelée |
| semi-detached house |
| le marché |
| market |
| la mer |
| sea |
| les montagnes (fpl) |
| mountains |
| le musée |
| museum |
| le panneau |
| signpost |
| la pátisserie |
| bakery/cake shop |
| la piscine |
| swimming pool |
| la place |
| square |
| la plage |
| beach |
| le pont |
| bridge |
| la poste |
| post office |
| la rivière |
| river |
| le rond-point |
| roundabout |
| la route |
| road |
| la rue |
| street |
| le supermarché |
| supermarket |
| le village |
| village |
| la ville |
| town |
| la ville commerciale |
| commercial town |
| la ville historique |
| historical town |
| la ville industrielle |
| industrial town |
| la ville touristique |
| tourist town |
| la zone piétonne |
| pedestrian zone |
When discussing where you live it’s useful to be able to give directions and talk about where places are situated. Here’s some vocabulary to help you give directions and speak about where things are situated in your local area.
| à cote de | next to, beside |
| à droite | on the right |
| à gauche | on the left |
| le centre | the centre |
| de l’autre côté | on the other side |
| derrière | behind |
| devant | in front of |
| en face de | opposite |
| l’est (m) | east |
| ici | here |
| là | there |
| là-bas | over there |
| loin (de) | far from |
| le nord | north |
| l’ouest (m) | west |
| partout | everywhere |
| près (de) | near (to) |
| quelque part | somewhere |
| le sud | south |
| tout droit | straight ahead |
| toutes directions | all directions |
| à cote de |
| next to, beside |
| à droite |
| on the right |
| à gauche |
| on the left |
| le centre |
| the centre |
| de l’autre côté |
| on the other side |
| derrière |
| behind |
| devant |
| in front of |
| en face de |
| opposite |
| l’est (m) |
| east |
| ici |
| here |
| là |
| there |
| là-bas |
| over there |
| loin (de) |
| far from |
| le nord |
| north |
| l’ouest (m) |
| west |
| partout |
| everywhere |
| près (de) |
| near (to) |
| quelque part |
| somewhere |
| le sud |
| south |
| tout droit |
| straight ahead |
| toutes directions |
| all directions |
