VOCABULARY FOR TOWN AND CITY

Outskirts – Vùng ngoại ô

The “outskirts” of a city or town are the parts of it that are far from the centre.

“We had to get a train to my sister’s house as she lives in the outskirts.”

High-rise flats – Nhà chung cư cao tầng

Large buildings with many floors and flats (or apartments) on each floor.

“The eastern part of the city has lots of ugly, high-rise flats.”

The suburbs – Vùng ngoại ô

The outer area of large towns and cities where people live, often in bigger houses with gardens.

“They’ve got a nice house in the suburbs.”

Lively nightlife – Cuộc sống về đêm sôi động

If a city has a “lively nightlife”, there are lots of bars, clubs, restaurants, etc. with a good atmosphere.

“For a lively nightlife, head off to the western part of the city.”

An office block – khu văn phòng

A large building with many floors and offices on each floor.

“There are lots of office blocks in the financial district.”

Pavement café – café vỉa hè

A café with tables outside on the pavement where you can sit and have a drink.

“We sat in a pavement café and watched the people walking by.”

Residential area – Khu dân cư

An area where people live. There aren’t many shops or offices here.

“The northern part of the city is mostly residential.”

Run-down – Xuống cấp

Old and of a poor standard.

“Many of the buildings in the centre were run-down.”

Sprawling – Ngỗn ngang

A “sprawling” city covers a wide area. You often need a car to travel around it.

“It’s a large sprawling city without a real centre.”

Square – Quảng trường

In a town or city, a square is a flat open place, often in the shape of a square.

“We had a relaxing cup of coffee in the main square.”

Quarter – Quận

A “quarter” of a town is a part of the town where a particular group of people traditionally live or work.

“The hotels in the French quarter are excellent.”

Upmarket shops – Cửa hàng cao cấp

Fashionable shops that sell expensive goods.

“There are a lot of upmarket shops in the main street.”