The city and its places in Valencian
157 words Valencian words on the topic “the city and its places”: el restaurant — restaurant, la ciutat — city, el carrer — street, la botiga — shop.
157 words on the topic
- el restaurantrestaurantMasculine, and the everyday meal happens in el bar: morning coffee, lunch and an evening beer
- la ciutatcityFeminine like every -tat word. Stress at the end: siu-TAT. The dot in tranquil·la is the same geminated l as in the alphabet
- el carrerstreetWith two r's: the first is a short tap between vowels. Addresses use the short form: c/ Major, 12
- la botigashopThe local word — Spanish tienda is not used here. Botiga de tot — a little shop of everything
- el mercatmarketThe indoor city market is el mercat; the street one on set days is el mercadillo, a word borrowed from Spanish
- la farmàciapharmacyLook for the green cross on the sign. The night-duty one is the farmàcia de guàrdia — every pharmacy posts the list on its door
- el bancbankThe same word means bench, as in Spanish. Both come from the Germanic bench: money-changers worked at one
- l'estacióstationBoth the metro stop and the train station: estació de metro, estació de tren. The article la shrinks before the vowel: l'estació
- el semàfortraffic lightThe traffic light; it's red — wait a little
- la bicicletabicycleThe bicycle; we ride to the park on it
- la parada d'autobúsbus stopLiterally stop of bus; the one nearby
- l'abonamenttransit passThe season ticket; the metro one costs thirty euros
- la rutarouteThe route; this one is short and beautiful
- el pas de vianantscrosswalkLiterally the pedestrians' pass; it's over there
- l'embústraffic jamLiterally in-bus — the traffic jam; on Carrer Major there is one
- l'aparcamentcar parkFrom aparcar, to park — a verb that arrived from Spanish. Aparcament de cotxes — a car park
- la benzineragas stationFrom benzina, gasoline: a "gas-house", feminine. On the way out of town — every ten kilometers
- el permís de conduirdriving licenseLiterally the driving permit; it's in the wallet
- el parcparkOne syllable, as in all these languages. The favorite park of Valencians is the old bed of the Turia: nine kilometers of gardens
- la bibliotecalibraryAn international word. Do not mix it up with la llibreria — the bookshop: a false friend
- el museumuseumWith the diphthong eu at the end: moo-ZEH-oo. Entrada gratuita — free entry: the sign at many museums on Sundays
- el teatretheaterThe theater; we're going tonight
- el cinemacinemaNot cine, as in Spanish: the Catalan word is longer. Cinema a l'aire lliure — open-air cinema
- l'esglésiachurchIts own word, not the Latin iglesia: the first letter is e. The church bell tower is el campanar — the silhouette of every town
- l'estadistadiumThe stadium; next to the port
- l'ambaixadaembassyA Latin relative. For papers about documents one goes exactly there, to Madrid
- la comissariapolice stationThe police station; it's on the square
- l'ajuntamenttown hallFrom ajuntar, to join: the town hall is literally the joining of the townspeople. A flag always hangs on its facade — the Senyera or the Valencian one
- la perruqueriahair salonFrom perruquer, the hairdresser. The owner of the shop is la perruquera: gender lives in the ending. And eight here is huit — the Valencian giveaway; the central norm says vuit
- el tall de cabellhaircutThe cut of hair; it costs fifteen euros
- la bugaderialaundromatThe wash-house; I carry the clothes there
- repararto repairRepair; can I repair the chair?
- canviarto replaceChange out; the old wire must be replaced
- l'einatoolWith the diphthong: EH-yuh. The plural eines — tools: the repairperson's kit is a maletí d'eines
- el martellhammerThe double ll is a soft ly at the end: muh-TEL. Hence martellejar — to hammer without stopping
- quant de temps trigarà?how long will it take?Literally how much time will it delay; the repair, that is
- el tallerworkshopThe workshop; they repair bicycles there
- el clauwall nailLiterally the key of the wall — the wall anchor; it's in the wall
- la policiapoliceOne word for the police and a police officer: gender decides. Policia Nacional and Policia Local are two different forces
- el policiapolice officerThe same word as the police, only with el: the man in uniform. The polite address: bon dia, agent!
- el lladrethiefThe thief; he runs down the street
- l'accidentcar accidentThe accident; one at the exit from the city
- l'incendiblaze (fire)From incendiar, to set alight: historically a fire here is an "arson". The fire brigade number is 112, as in all Europe
- la multafine (penalty)It can arrive by post too: rebre una multa — to receive a fine
- m'han robat el bolsomy bag was stolenLiterally they have stolen the bag to me; at the market
- el robatoritheftThe robbery; it happened on the square
- el testimoniwitnessThe witness; he talks with the police officer
- la denúnciapolice reportThe formal complaint; you file it at the station
- l'adreçaaddressThe address; write it here, please
- la capsaboxKAHP-suh with a short a. A shoebox is capsa de sabates: they are kept on the top shelf for generations here
- el carterpostmanThe mail man; he comes in the morning
- el segellpostage stampThe stamp of the mail; I need one for the letter
- el sobreenvelopeThe envelope — and on top of, as a preposition; put the letter in it
- el lliuramentdeliveryFrom lliurar, to hand over: a delivery here is a "handing over". Lliurament a casa — home delivery: the line of every shop
- el missatgercourierThe messenger; he rings the doorbell
- enviar un paquetto send a packageSend the package; I want to send one to Alicante
- rebre un paquetto receive a packageLiterally "to receive the package": rebre from the messaging lesson. If you are not home, the courier leaves a notice
- el codi postalpostal codeThe postal code; Valencia's starts with a four
- l'encreuamentcrossroadsFrom encreuar — to cross: a crossroads here is a "crossing of roads". The signs warn honestly: encreuament perillós
- la vorerasidewalkThe edge — the sidewalk; you can't park on it
- l'avingudaavenueFeminine: a wide street with trees in a row. The most famous — l'avinguda Diagonal in Barcelona: it cuts the city on the bias
- el carreróalleyThe big street's little brother — the alley; the car doesn't get through
- el passeig marítimseafront promenadeThe maritime walk; there are always runners on it
- el pontbridgeThe bridge; from it the whole river is visible
- el túneltunnelMasculine, an international word. Efecte túnel — the tunnel effect: said of a goal one cannot see for its closeness
- el fanallamp postThe entry is the lamp; under it a yellow light
- el bancbench (seat)The entry is the bank — as a seat; the old folks like sitting on the square one
- la papererawaste binThe paper basket; throw the scrap in it, please
- el conductor d'autobúsbus driverThe driver of the bus; he knows every street of the city
- la parada finallast stopThe final stop; we get off there, where the buses turn around
- el número de la líniaroute numberLiterally the number of the line: a route here is a line, as in the metro. People ask it short: quina línia agafe? And I take is agafe here: the Valencian giveaway; the central norm says agafo
- l'hora puntarush hourThe peak hour; at it the metro arrives full
- l'horari d'autobusosbus timetableThe timetable of the buses; it hangs at the stop
- pagar el bitlletto pay the fareLiterally "to pay for the ticket": el bitllet you bought for the train and the plane. Without a ticket — multa: the difference in price is palpable
- prendre seientto take a seatTake the seat; take them, the bus is leaving
- passar la paradato miss one's stopPass the stop; I was on the phone and passed mine
- demanar un taxito call a taxiAsk for the taxi; at night it is better to
- baixar a la següentto get off at the next stopGet down at the following; get off there, we've arrived
- el barrineighborhoodThe neighborhood; we live in a quiet one, away from the noise
- el centre de la ciutatcity centerThe center of the city; it is full of tourists
- la perifèriaedge of townThe periphery; flats are cheaper there
- l'obraconstruction siteThe work — the construction; the new house's starts in May
- les obres de la carreteraroadworksThe works of the road; because of them there is a detour
- el rètolsign (of a shop)Masculine. Rètol de neó — a neon sign: at night the city speaks exactly by them. A road sign is a rètol too
- el lavabo públicpublic restroomThe public lavatory; the park's closes at nine
- netclean (streets)The entry is clean — the streets after rain; the air seems cleaner
- brutdirty (streets)The entry is dirty — the streets with wind; the car gets dirty in a day
- ple de gentcrowdedFull of people; on Saturday the market is
- el pobletsmall villageThe little village; he was born in a mountain one
- la capitalcapital cityThe capital; Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia
- el transport públicpublic transportThe public transport; in the city I go everywhere by it
- el jardí d'infànciakindergartenThe garden of childhood; its children come out at four
- el parc infantilplaygroundThe infantile park; the children play on the square one
- la font de la plaçasquare fountainThe fountain of the square; we sat next to it
- el cementiricemeteryThe cemetery; every November the family visits it
- el camió de bombersfire engineThe firemen's truck; it arrives in five minutes
- el servei d'emergènciesemergency serviceThe service of emergencies; call it, quick!
- l'illa de casescity blockLiterally the island of houses — a block is an island of buildings between streets
- els jardinssquare gardenAlways plural: els jardins del riu — the riverside gardens, a small public park
- la torretowerThe church bell tower included: la torre de l'església
- l'extraradioutskirtsLiterally beyond the radius — the ring beyond the center. Spanish took the word from here
- la vilasmall townThe town below a city: a la vila hi ha mercat els divendres
- el passavolantspasserbyLiterally the one who passes flying — a person in motion past you
- el vianantpedestrianThe road-sign word: carrer vianant — pedestrian street
- l'ensenyashop signThe hanging sign that says what is inside: l'enssenya del cafè
- la papereralitter binLiterally the road paper-basket; the suffix -vial marks the street one
- el fanalstreet lampFrom the Latin fanum — the light post of the night street
- la gespalawnThe grass you are not supposed to walk on: no trepitgeu la gespa
- la jardineraflowerbedFrom jardí, garden — the raised bed on the street or balcony
- el porxoporchThe roofed entrance: deixa la bici sota el porxo
- el graóstepOne step of the staircase; the whole staircase is l'escala
- el númerohouse numberLiterally the number of the house — said exactly like that in an address
- el nom del carrerstreet nameLiterally the name of the street — the plaque on the corner
- el palpoleA pole and a stick: the sign hangs on one, you stir the pot with the other
- el casc anticold townLiterally the old shell — the historic core inside the walls
- el bloc de pisosapartment blockLiterally a block of flats — the whole building at once
- el silencisilenceA look-alike; what the street holds at five in the morning
- l'estació d'autobusosbus stationLiterally the station of buses — the long-distance one, next to the train station
- l'embarcadorpierFrom embarcar, to embark — where the boat actually leaves from
- l'oficina de canviexchange officeLiterally the office of change — money exchange, canvi is the exchange
- el zoozooSpelled as in English, said the same way
- el circcircusThe tents and the trapeze, not the traffic shape — that is the plaça redona
- el parc de bombersfire stationLiterally the park of firemen — the vehicles park there, so the station is a park
- el túnel de rentatcar washLiterally the washing tunnel — you drive through it
- l'agència de viatgestravel agencyThe office that sells trips: agència de viatges
- el carrer principalmain streetLiterally the principal street — every town has exactly one
- la taquillaticket officeThe window you buy from — cinema, train, pool alike
- el comptehotel billThe entry is the bill again — the hotel's; in the morning I ask for it and leave
- la sortida de l'hotelhotel checkoutLiterally the exit of the hotel; at twelve, not later
- el número de plantafloor numberThe number of the floor; the sixth, with a sea view
- el llit supletoriextra bedLiterally the supplementary bed; with the child we ask for one
- l'habitació tranquil·laquiet roomLiterally "a calm room": with the mid-dot in tranquil·la. Asked when the room faces the road: que no es senti el carrer
- l'entrada anticipadaearly check-inLiterally the anticipated entry; with it we drop the bags and go to lunch
- no molesteudo not disturbLiterally don't bother; hang the sign and sleep till noon
- el maleterporterThe entry is the porter; he carries the suitcases to the top floor
- el matalàsmattressThe mattress; this one is hard — the back feels it in the morning
- el serveiserviceThe entry is the service; at the hotel it is fast — the room is ready
- el número d'esperaqueue ticketLiterally the number of waiting; take one and wait for your turn
- la finestretaservice windowThe little window of the office; at the bank's the queue moves slowly
- la recepcióreception areaThe entry is the reception again — the room of it; there they give you a ticket and show you the office
- el visitantvisitorThe one who comes on a visit; about a woman — la visitant. A relative of la visita, the visit
- la consultaoffice consultationThe entry is the consultation — the office kind; it lasts fifteen minutes and I leave with a paper
- el pagament anticipatprepaymentLiterally the anticipated payment; the booking is confirmed with a small one
- urgentpressingUrgent; this is urgent business — I can't wait until next week
- sense cita prèviawithout an appointmentLiterally without previous appointment; today they take people until two
- amb cita prèviaby appointmentThe mirror of the previous entry; on Fridays the office takes only these
- el temps més propersoon (nearest time)Literally the nearest time; I'll come to you within it
- la reparació del mòbilphone repairThe repair of the mobile; it comes out cheaper than a new one
- la manicuramanicureThe manicure; before the wedding my sister goes for one
- el massatgemassageThe massage; the back one lasts fifty minutes
- la reserva en líniaonline bookingThe booking on the line; I book the massage from the phone
- el preu del serveiservice priceThe price of the service; it's written on the door
- l'autoescoladriving schoolThe auto-school; the first days they drive in the yard
- la classe de conducciódriving lessonHonestly "the lesson of driving": conduir you knew as to drive a car. In every city there is an instructor who says tranquil twenty times an hour
- l'escombriairestreet sweeperThe sweeper of the streets; he passes with his cart before sunrise
- el músic de carrerstreet musicianThe musician of the street; he plays the violin on the square every evening
- la llogadora de cotxescar rental officeLiterally the renter of cars; they ask for the driving license there
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.
- Conec un restaurant bo i baratI know a good and cheap restaurant
- València és una ciutat tranquil·laValencia is a calm city
- Visc al carrer Major, a sobre de la farmàciaI live on Carrer Major, above the pharmacy
- La botiga de l'angle obre els diumengesThe shop on the corner opens on Sundays
- Els dissabtes vaig al mercat a comprar fruitaOn Saturdays I go to the market for fruit
- Hi ha una farmàcia per aquí a prop?Is there a pharmacy near here?
What is worth knowing about these words
el restaurant — restaurant. Masculine, and the everyday meal happens in el bar: morning coffee, lunch and an evening beer
la ciutat — city. Feminine like every -tat word. Stress at the end: siu-TAT. The dot in tranquil·la is the same geminated l as in the alphabet
el carrer — street. With two r's: the first is a short tap between vowels. Addresses use the short form: c/ Major, 12
la botiga — shop. The local word — Spanish tienda is not used here. Botiga de tot — a little shop of everything
Test yourself
Recalling a spelling from meaning is harder than recognizing a familiar word — and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “restaurant” in Valencian?
Masculine, and the everyday meal happens in el bar: morning coffee, lunch and an evening beer
- How do you say “station” in Valencian?
Both the metro stop and the train station: estació de metro, estació de tren. The article la shrinks before the vowel: l'estació
- How do you say “traffic jam” in Valencian?
Literally in-bus — the traffic jam; on Carrer Major there is one
- How do you say “theater” in Valencian?
The theater; we're going tonight
- How do you say “hair salon” in Valencian?
From perruquer, the hairdresser. The owner of the shop is la perruquera: gender lives in the ending. And eight here is huit — the Valencian giveaway; the central norm says vuit
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 Valencian?
«el restaurant». Masculine, and the everyday meal happens in el bar: morning coffee, lunch and an evening beer. It is one of 157 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 157 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.