The city and its places in Spanish
98 words Spanish words on the topic “the city and its places”: el restaurante — restaurant, la ciudad — city, la calle — street, la tienda — shop. 98 words can be played from recordings.
98 words on the topic
- el restauranterestaurantMasculine. In Spain people more often head to el bar — morning coffee, lunch, and an evening beer all happen there
- la ciudadcityFeminine, like every word in -dad. Stress at the end: syoo-DAHD
- la callestreetThe ll sounds like the y in 'yes': KAH-yeh. In addresses it's abbreviated: c/ Mayor, 12
- la tiendashopBoth a shop and a tent: una tienda de campaña is a camping tent
- el mercadomarketThe covered city market is el mercado; the street one that comes on certain days is el mercadillo
- la farmaciapharmacyLook for the green cross on the sign. The one on night duty is a farmacia de guardia, listed on every door
- el bancobankThe same word also means 'bench'. Both come from a Germanic word for bench: the money changers worked at one
- la estaciónstationBoth a metro stop and a train station: la estación de metro, la estación de tren
- el semáforotraffic lightseh-MAH-foh-roh
- la bicicletabicycleLa bici in speech. To go by bike: ir en bici
- la parada del autobúsbus stopFrom parar, to stop. A metro stop is a different word: la estación
- el abono de transportetravel passIn Madrid this is simply el abono; in Barcelona the card is called la T-casual
- la rutarouteA travel route and a hiking trail alike. A city route's number is la línea
- el paso de peatonescrosswalkEl peatón is a pedestrian. The painted stripes are colloquially la cebra — the zebra
- el atascotraffic jamOnly about cars. A cork in a bottle is el corcho, a clog in the sink el tapón
- el aparcamientocar parkThe Spanish word; Latin America says el estacionamiento. The verb is aparcar
- la gasolineragas stationFrom la gasolina. To fill up is echar gasolina — literally 'pour some gasoline'
- el parqueparkMasculine even ending in -e. El parque de atracciones — an amusement park
- la bibliotecalibraryThe false friend in reverse: la librería is a bookshop, not a library
- el museomuseumMasculine. Many Spanish museums are free at set hours: entrada gratuita
- el teatrotheaterThe building and the art form. Hacer teatro figuratively means to put on an act
- el cinecinemaBoth the movie house and film as art. Ir al cine — to go to the movies
- la iglesiachurchThe building and the church as an institution. A big cathedral is la catedral
- el estadiostadiumMasculine. The same word means a stage of a process, though in that sense etapa is more usual
- el lugar de interésthe place of interestLiterally 'place of interest' — the way guidebooks and signposts put it. In conversation people more often just ask ¿qué hay que ver aquí?
- el guíathe tour guidethe u after g is silent, it only keeps the g hard: GEE-ah, stress on the i
- la guíathe guidebookThe same guía with a feminine article — a book or an app. La guía de la ciudad is the guidebook, el guía de la ciudad is the guide; the article carries all the meaning
- el miradorthe viewing pointFrom mirar, to look: 'a place people look from'. The same word is used for an enclosed glazed balcony on a house
- la entrada para la excursiónthe tour ticketFor museums, concerts and tours you buy an entrada, not a billete: billete is for transport only. Mixing them up gives you away at once
- el grupo de turistasthe group of touristsA guided tour is la visita guiada, as opposed to la visita libre, when you walk on your own with an audio guide
- el turistatouristWords in -ista do not change their ending for gender, only the article changes: el turista, la turista. The same pattern as el periodista and el artista
- la fortalezafortressAlso 'strength, resilience': la fortaleza de carácter. A Moorish fortress in Spain is called el alcázar or la alcazaba
- el monumentomonumentA statue on a square and a listed building alike: monumento nacional. Whoever it is dedicated to goes with a: un monumento a Cervantes
- el cruceintersectionFrom cruzar, to cross. El cruce de caminos is a crossroads. The pedestrian crossing the course knows separately: el paso de peatones
- la acerasidewalkLatin America more often says la banqueta or la vereda. Ir por la acera de la sombra — walking the shady side — is no figure of speech in a Spanish summer
- la avenidaavenueA wide street with trees; addresses shorten it to Avda. El paseo is wide too but built for strolling: el Paseo del Prado
- el callejónalleyFrom la calle with the suffix -ón: a narrow passage between houses. Un callejón sin salida is a dead end, literally and figuratively
- el paseo marítimoseafront promenadeA promenade by the sea and only by the sea. Along a river they say el paseo fluvial, or just the name: el paseo del río
- el puentebridgeA bridge — and a long weekend: when a holiday falls on a Tuesday, Monday is turned into a bridge, hacer puente. In the Spanish calendar the word matters more than it looks
- el túneltunnelstress on the first syllable: TOO-nel
- la farolastreet lampA street lamp on a post. The pocket kind is la linterna, the desk lamp la lámpara: Spanish keeps all three apart
- el bancobenchThe same word as the bank the course knows — Spanish does not tell them apart at all. To dodge the ambiguity people specify: el banco del parque
- la papeleratrash binFrom el papel, paper: a street bin for small litter. The big container the course knows: el contenedor de basura. On a computer la papelera is the trash
- el conductor del autobúsbus driverEl conductor drives anything; el chófer is a personal driver. The train conductor is el revisor — a completely different word
- la última paradalast stopLa parada the course knows. Timetables write final de trayecto, and drivers say la cabecera — the end the route starts back from
- el número de línearoute numberA route is la línea: la línea 27, la línea 6 del metro. La ruta exists but is for tourist or long-distance routes
- la hora puntarush hourLiterally 'peak hour', no preposition inside. In the plural las horas punta — punta never agrees. Latin America says la hora pico
- el horario de autobusesbus scheduleEl horario the course knows as a schedule in general. A single departure is la salida; how often the buses come is la frecuencia
- pagar el billeteto pay the fareOn the bus you pay the driver; in the metro you tap the card — pasar la tarjeta. A paper ticket gets clipped in the machine: picar el billete
- coger sitioto grab a seatEl sitio is a place in general, el asiento the actual seat. Saving one for someone else is guardar sitio: guárdame sitio
- pedir un taxito call a taxiBy phone or app you pedir; hailed on the street you coger un taxi. The rank is la parada de taxis
- bajarse en la siguienteto get off at the next stopBajarse is getting off, subirse getting on. Squeezing toward the door, people ask briefly: ¿baja usted?
- el barrioneighborhoodA district where people live; the administrative one is el distrito. Ser del barrio is to be a local, and el bar de barrio the corner bar
- el centrocity centerSpaniards just say el centro: voy al centro. The historic part is el casco antiguo. El centro comercial — the mall — the course knows, and it is a different place
- las afuerasthe edge of townPlural only: vivo en las afueras. The commuter belt is el extrarradio or la periferia; a singular la afuera does not exist
- la obraconstruction siteIn the singular also a work of art: una obra de teatro. In the plural las obras are repair works; the course knows hacer obras
- las obras en la carreteraroadworksRoad works are always plural. The sign just says obras, and the detour is el desvío
- el cartel indicadorsignpostA sign with an arrow and a name. The traffic sign the course knows: la señal de tráfico; el cartel alone is a poster
- el aseo públicopublic restroomThe polite words in Spain are el aseo and el servicio: ¿dónde están los servicios? El baño suggests the bathroom at home, and el váter is blunt
- limpiocleanA street, a shirt, a conscience. Limpiar is to clean, la limpieza the cleaning, and jugar limpio is to play fair
- suciodirtyThe partner of limpio. About air and water they say contaminado, polluted. Lavar los trapos sucios — washing the dirty rags — is airing dirty laundry
- hay mucha genteit's crowdedBuilt as 'there are many people': la gente stays singular — la gente dice, not dicen. The crowd is la multitud
- el pueblovillageTwo senses: a village, and the people — el pueblo español. Spaniards say mi pueblo about their home place of any size. La aldea is a tiny hamlet
- la capitalcapitalAbout the city it's feminine: la capital. Masculine el capital is money, capital. One article tells them apart
- el transporte públicopublic transportPúblico is public and open to all. Madrid's all-zone travel card goes by el abono transporte
- la guarderíadaycarethe ia is two syllables: guar-de-REE-a
- el parque infantilplaygroundInfantil — for children. The swing there is el columpio, the slide el tobogán, the sandbox el arenero
- la fuentefountainThe same word already means 'source' in this course — Spanish doesn't split them. A street drinking fountain is la fuente too
- el cementeriocemeteryThere's an old-fashioned word — el camposanto, the holy field. On November 1st Spaniards visit the cemetery: el Día de Todos los Santos
- el camión de bomberosfire truckEl camión is a truck, los bomberos the firefighters. Its medical neighbor is la ambulancia
- la manzanacity blockThe same word as apple: to a Spaniard a block of houses is an apple on the map. In Latin America it's la cuadra
- el jardín públicopublic gardenSmaller than a park and open to everyone; a bare jardín is the garden of your own house
- la torretowerA cathedral tower and a high-rise home alike: vivo en una torre. On a chessboard it's the rook
- la periferiaoutskirtsA newspaper word, always singular; in conversation people say las afueras
- el pobladosmall villageSmaller than a pueblo and with no town hall of its own: a few streets by the road
- el transeúntepasser-byA news-and-notices word; in speech people say la gente que pasa — the people passing by
- el peatónpedestrianFrom pie, foot. Hence calle peatonal and paso de peatones — the crosswalk
- el letrerosignboardFrom letra, letter — a board with letters on it. Cartel is a poster, señal is a road sign
- la papelera de la callelitter binA bare papelera is also the wastebasket under your desk, which is why the street one gets spelled out. A big container is el contenedor
- el poste de luzstreetlightIn Spain it goes by la farola; poste de luz is heard more across the ocean but understood everywhere
- el céspedlawnThe lawn in the yard and the grass of a football pitch. Grass as a plant is la hierba
- el parterreflower bedA French borrowing, stressed on the last syllable. In Latin America you'll more often hear el macizo de flores
- el porcheporchA roofed space in front of the door. Bare steps without a roof are just la entrada
- el escalónstepOne single step; the staircase as a whole is la escalera. Doorsteps warn you: cuidado con el escalón!
- el número de la casahouse numberIn the address itself the word número drops out: the number just follows the street after a comma — calle Mayor, 12
- el nombre de la callestreet nameEl nombre covers both a person's name and the name of a thing. In speech people often drop calle: vivo en Mayor
- el postepoleAny pole — telegraph, road, fence. The lamp kind with a light on top is the familiar poste de luz
- el casco antiguoold townThe same casco as in a helmet; here it means the core, the kernel of the city. El centro is downtown in general, not necessarily old
- el edificio de viviendasresidential buildingLa vivienda is housing as such. The contrast is with the office kind, el edificio de oficinas
- el silenciosilenceSilence and keeping quiet in one word: guardar silencio is to keep quiet, and silencio! shouted means quiet!
- la cafeteríacafeStress on the í: kah-feh-teh-REE-ah
- el edificiobuildingThe c before i is an s in Latin America and a soft th in Spain: eh-dee-FEE-syoh
- la salahallA big room for people: la sala de espera, la sala de conciertos. The living room at home is the familiar el salón, a gym is el gimnasio
- terrazaterraceAsking ¿nos sentamos en la terraza? — shall we sit on the terrace? — is how any get-together starts
- chiringuitobeach barSardines on a skewer are called espeto, and they are grilled in exactly such a boat
- plaza mayormain squareThe arcades are called soportales: under them people traded and sheltered from rain
- casco antiguohistoric centerCasco here is not a helmet but a core, a frame — the historic skeleton of the city
- mercadocovered marketMadrid's San Miguel and Barcelona's Boqueria are the most famous examples
How it sounds in a sentence
A word list is a blank. Conversation is made of sentences, and these are the ones the words fit into most often.
- Conozco un restaurante bueno y baratoI know a good, cheap restaurant
- Valencia es una ciudad tranquilaValencia is a calm city
- Vivo en la calle Mayor, encima de la farmaciaI live on Mayor Street, above the pharmacy
- La tienda de la esquina abre los domingosThe shop on the corner opens on Sundays
- Los sábados voy al mercado a por frutaOn Saturdays I go to the market for fruit
- ¿Hay una farmacia por aquí cerca?Is there a pharmacy around here?
What is worth knowing about these words
el restaurante — restaurant. Masculine. In Spain people more often head to el bar — morning coffee, lunch, and an evening beer all happen there
la ciudad — city. Feminine, like every word in -dad. Stress at the end: syoo-DAHD
la calle — street. The ll sounds like the y in 'yes': KAH-yeh. In addresses it's abbreviated: c/ Mayor, 12
la tienda — shop. Both a shop and a tent: una tienda de campaña is a camping tent
Test yourself
First by ear — the way you will meet the word in conversation. Click the speaker and pick the translation.
- What is this word?
It is el restaurante — restaurant.
- What is this word?
It is la farmacia — pharmacy.
- What is this word?
It is la parada del autobús — bus stop.
- What is this word?
It is el aparcamiento — car park.
- What is this word?
It is el teatro — theater.
Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “restaurant” in Spanish?
Masculine. In Spain people more often head to el bar — morning coffee, lunch, and an evening beer all happen there
- How do you say “pharmacy” in Spanish?
Look for the green cross on the sign. The one on night duty is a farmacia de guardia, listed on every door
- How do you say “bus stop” in Spanish?
From parar, to stop. A metro stop is a different word: la estación
- How do you say “car park” in Spanish?
The Spanish word; Latin America says el estacionamiento. The verb is aparcar
- How do you say “theater” in Spanish?
The building and the art form. Hacer teatro figuratively means to put on an act
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
Street, square, pharmacy, bank. An address is built out of these, and an address is something you have to both say and understand.
A list is read in a minute and forgotten in a day. What works: hide the translation, try to recall, get it wrong — and come back to the same words tomorrow.
- Recalling beats re-reading. Covering the translation and trying to remember it does more than reading it ten more times.checked many timesAdesope, Trevisan & Sundararajan, 2017, Review of Educational Research 87(3) · 188 experiments, 272 comparisons. g = 0.61; against plain re-reading 0.51, against passive review 0.93.
- This holds not only in experiments but in ordinary classrooms, with real students.checked many timesMawson & Kang, 2025, Behavioral Sciences 15(6):771 · 22 studies, d = 0.54 (confidence interval 0.31–0.77). The authors warn that individual studies disagree widely.
Frequently asked
How do you say “restaurant” in Spanish?
«el restaurante». Masculine. In Spain people more often head to el bar — morning coffee, lunch, and an evening beer all happen there. It is one of 98 words in the set “the city and its places” — the rest are in the table above.
How many street and place words do you need to start?
A dozen is enough. The set of 98 words on this page covers nearly every everyday case on the topic — but it is best taken a few at a time, not all at once.
Is there audio?
Yes, 98 words on this page can be played — click the speaker next to the word. The sound works on any phone, and nothing needs to be installed.