French City Living Vocabulary – Vivre en Ville
If you’re planning a trip to France (or just love imagining yourself strolling down its cobblestone streets), you’ll quickly realize that everyday city life comes with its own set of vocabulary. From ringing an intercom to picking up a baguette at the boulangerie, knowing the right words can make your daily routines much smoother — and help you feel more at home.
In this post, you’ll find a practical list of French words and expressions connected to living in a city. Whether it’s transportation, shops, services, or just walking the dog, these terms will give you the vocabulary you need to navigate French urban life with confidence.
You can download a free PDF of this list in my private French Grammar Library.
| un immeuble | a building |
| un digicode | a digital code |
| l’interphone | the intercom |
| sonner | to ring |
| une caméra | a video camera |
| un gardien, une gardienne | to get ready |
| appuyer | to press |
| un ascenseur | an elevator |
| la porte d’entrée | the front door |
| un trottoir | a sidewalk |
| la rue | the street |
| un parcmètre | a parking meter |
| se garer | to park |
| un parking | a parking lot |
| un passage piéton | a pedestrian crossing |
| se faire agresser | to get assaulted |
| se faire voler | to get robbed |
| une bouche de métro | a subway entrance |
| un distributeur (de billets) | an ATM |
| une boîte à lettres | a mailbox |
| le facteur, la factrice | the letter carrier |
| la poste | the postal service, the post office |
| une boucherie | a butcher shop |
| une fromagerie | a cheese shop |
| une boulangerie | a bakery |
| une poissonnerie | a fish shop |
| un bureau de tabac | a tobacco shop |
| la bibliothèque | the library |
| une librairie | a bookshop |
| une épicerie | a local shop |
| le cordonnier | the shoemaker |
| la pharmacie | the pharmacy |
| le teinturier | the dry cleaner |
| un PV | a ticket |
| un camion poubelle | a trash truck |
| un éboueur | a garbage collector |
| la fourrière | the impound lot |
| un pont | a bridge |
| un tunnel | a tunnel |
| un radar | a speed camera |
| un feu rouge | a red light |
| un(e) SDF | a homeless person |
| un arrêt de bus | a bus stop |
| un musée | a museum |
| un panneau publicitaire | a billboard |
| une manifestation | a protest march |
| la mairie | the city hall |
| un marché | a market |
| la criminalité | the neighborhood |
| une école primaire | a primary school |
| un lycée | a high school |
| une université | a university |
| promener le chien | to walk the dog |
| ramasser | to pick up |
| une laisse | a leash |
| tenir en laisse | to keep on a leash |
| un lampadaire | a street light |
| une rue piétonne | a pedestrian street |
| un graffiti | a graffiti |
| les pavés | cobblestones |
