How to navigate the city in English: a simple phrasebook. We ask and show you the way

How to give directions or find out the way English language?

Remember the situation: a foreigner comes up to you and asks how to get somewhere. You strain all your strength to extract at least some phrases from the depths of your consciousness, and spend a long time explaining to him the right path. He leaves, and you are left in doubt whether you managed to help him. This happens not because you don’t know how to get to the right point - you just don’t know what words to choose.
At first glance, it seems that explaining the way, especially on foreign language, extremely difficult. However, it is not. It's actually simple, and even easier than in Russian.

How to give directions in English?

All you need is a few verbs and a few prepositions.

Now let’s decide how to tell someone in English where to go. You can simply walk straight for a few blocks, or advise walking on the right or on the left side.

These sentences are grammatically correct, but native speakers will often say differently:

You can say the same thing, but even shorter:

You can advise going through something. For example, through an arch:
go through the arch - go through the arch. The preposition used here is through- through, through, which means passing through something, and the arch is just through hole in a buiding.

This should not be confused with a similar case, which we will also translate into Russian as “through”, but here it will mean through something in the sense of “to cross”

We can use other prepositions with the verb go. For example, round:
go round this building- go around this building

Or around - to go around:
go around this building and you will see a subway station

You may also need to turn a corner:
go round the corner - turn around the corner

The second useful verb for moving is turn.

other verbs

If you go very far, you should be advised to use transport. To do this, use the following expressions:

You can say even more precisely if you need to get on or off the bus:
get on the bus - get on the bus
get off the bus - get off the bus

If you are on the metro, you may need to change from one line to another:
change to line 5 - change to the fifth line

For especially slow-witted public transport users, you can give special, more detailed instructions:
go down the escalator - go down the escalator
go up the escalator - go up the escalator

What should you say to a foreigner if you yourself are lost?

The very first word you need is excuse me, which means “sorry.” Every conversation should start with this:

Excuse me, sir! - if you are addressing a man
Excuse me, ma'am! - if you are addressing an older woman
Excuse me, miss! - if you are addressing a young lady
Excuse me, officer! - if you see a police officer, you can also ask him for directions

Very often the question arises, what is the difference between excuse me and sorry, and why it is impossible to use the second option in this situation.
The difference is significant, but very easy to remember.

Excuse me! - They are going to do something nasty to you. Used before treatment. Sorry! - They've already done something nasty to you. Used after an action has been completed.

Can you tell me the way to the central square? - Can you tell me how to get to the central square?

You can be super polite and use could instead of can:

Could you show me the way to the central square? - Could you tell me how to get to the central square? (same as in the previous example, but in a more polite form)

You can also simply ask how to get there:

How can I get to the central square? - How to get to the central square?
How do I get to the central square? - How to get to the central square? (option No. 2)

To understand the answer to a question, listen carefully and remember it. Most likely, your guide will use the words and phrases we covered at the beginning of the lesson, and you will easily get to where you need to go.

Cities are growing rapidly. Scientists describe the problems of urbanization in their works, discuss them at conferences, and try to prevent Negative consequences, but people are increasingly leaving villages and urban-type settlements, moving to megacities. Today the most populated cities are: Tokyo, Delhi, Seoul, New York, Jakarta, Shanghai. These cities are already like states with their own districts. A tourist who comes to a city with such a population for the first time finds it quite difficult to navigate the area – orient oneself , That's why…

Today we will help you figure out how to navigate the city in English.

IN hometown, we use such Internet resources as mapia.ua, google maps, map.meta, speed-tester.info and the like. When visiting the site, you can use the route planning option. from point A to point B at indicating the address where you are located in this moment and the address you want to find. In addition to providing car routes, some services also offer route directions that you can follow by public transport or on foot. A useful feature of such sites is the indication of travel time. It is shown subject to average traffic congestion.

Car owners have excellent assistants in the form of a device that receives a signal from global positioning systems, determining the current location of the device. In common people - GPS navigator . They have both pros and cons. It all depends on the manufacturer and assembly company.

As for the pedestrian, here we have other possibilities. We can use a map, try to navigate by addresses, ask passers-by for help or hints. It all depends on where you need to go, but in any case, before traveling abroad, you should prepare, whether it is a tourist trip or a business trip.

First of all, let's buy a card: I need a map of the city. Have you got a map of the city?

On the map we will find addresses, you need to be able to understand them:

• Saint Ann ’ s Street - St. Anne's street
• King ’ s Scholars ’ Passage — passage of the Royal Scholars
• Howick Place — Howik street (also used as square)
• Buckingham Palace Road - Buckingham Palace Road
• Victoria Square - squareVictoria
• Redfield Lane - Redfield road (mostly narrow road)
• Pacific Coast Highway Pacific Coast Highway (Pacific Coast Highway)

Remember the following abbreviations:

• Street — "St"
• Avenue (avenue) - "Ave”,
• Lane - « Ln»,
• Road - « Rd»,
• Turnpike(main highway) - «Tpke" and etc.
• The same applies to apartments, Apartment – ​​“Apt”

Example address: Reading m s how is it :

Lucy KorderLucy Corder

334 Westminster Avenue APT B3334 – this is the house number, Westminster Avenue, apartment B3

Brooklyn, NY,11230Brooklyn, New York zip code

You can also find out how write the address correctly in English, in our other article.

Shall we continue? First you need to determine where you are at the moment -take one' s bearings look around - look about . If your ability to navigate fails you – sense of locality then with the help of the map you can go in the right direction -correct direction .

• If you want to ask how best to get to Kyiv, use the phrase: Can you tell me the way to Kyiv?
• You can ask where Saksaganskogo Street is located using the phrase: Excuse me, c an you tell me where Saksaganskogo street is?
• You can find out how to get to the Golden Gate metro stop by asking the question: Excuse me, how can I get to Zolotie Vorota metro station?
• Without further ado, you can ask where the metro station is (any), you can ask: Where is the metro station?
• You can ask a passerby how far away the metro station is by asking: Where is the nearest metro station?
• If you want to ask directions to the Opera restaurant, you better use the expression: Can you tell me the way to the Opera restaurant?
• You can check whether you are following the correct path to Shevchenko Boulevard using the phrase: Am I on the right way to Shevchenko boulevard?
• You can find out the location of the Museum of Russian Art by asking: Do you know where the museum of Russian art is?
• If you want to ask which direction you should take to get to the city center, you should use the phrase: What direction should I take to get to city center?
• You can find out where the nearest supermarket is by asking: Where is the nearest shopping center?
• You can find out where this road leads by asking: Where does this road lead?

If you arrive in an unfamiliar city and are lost, do not hesitate to ask passers-by for help. It is advisable to contact people who are waiting at a public transport stop or who look 40 or more years old. As practice shows, young girls or boys may not know their way around the city well, they themselves may be tourists or students from other cities. You should not ask suspicious passers-by for directions, because when they find out that you are a tourist and that you are also lost, they can take advantage of your situation (rob you, take you to a deserted place and cause harm).
If an unpleasant incident does happen to you, you need to contact the police, and to find out its location, you need to use the phrase: What is the best way to get to the Police office?

The main directions of movement were and will be “straight” - straight, "back" - back, "to the left" - left, "to the right" - right, "forward" - forward, "against" - opposite, "on the corner" - at the corner of.

Native English School wishes you to travel around different countries, gain new, vivid impressions, learn new languages ​​and receive pleasant emotions. And let the words I have lost my way relate only to physical activity. See you at school, dear students! =)

So, you have already easily checked into a hotel using our phrase book “English in a Hotel”, you have rested after the trip and are ready to show yourself, watch people - go on an excursion to the city. Of course, having a Russian-speaking guide makes life easier for our tourists abroad, but traveling as a “savage” is much more interesting and cheaper. And if you also learn the phrases we suggested for orientation in the city, then your trip will be easy and pleasant. In addition, thanks to your knowledge of English, you will be able to make new friends from another country.

We have written a simple phrasebook for travelers, in which you will find dialogues, phrases and vocabulary on 25 essential topics. Go on a journey with the main character and improve your English. You can download the book for free at.

Names of main institutions in English

To begin with, we will give you the names of various places in the city in English. We recommend learning them first, you don't want to end up in a cave instead of a toilet.

As you noticed, there are several words for the name of the toilet. Typically, WC is used in almost every country, and in the UK the words toilet and lavatory are often used. The word loo is also used there; it has an informal connotation. In the US, the most popular words are restroom and bathroom, although the latter also refers to a bathroom with a toilet in someone's home. In Canada, the word bathroom is widely used. However, even in different regions same country can be used different words, so don’t be afraid to use any of them: you will be understood anyway.

How to ask for directions in English

So, let's imagine that you decide to take a walk around the city, sightseeing and enjoy beautiful views. If you decide to do without a tour guide, then to navigate the city you will need a map and a guide book, as well as knowledge of some phrases in English that will help you reach your destination, because it is not always easy to find your way around map, and some attractions or institutions may not be marked on it at all.

Where can I get a card? Firstly, almost every hotel will offer you a map of the city. Secondly, you can buy it at a newsagent's. Choose the most detailed one, with a large scale and a guide for tourists: on good maps all institutions, monuments, museums, etc. will be indicated. To purchase a map, ask the following question: Do you have a map of the city? (Do you have a map of the city?).

By the way, at the hotel you can ask the staff what places are worth visiting in the city. Ask a simple question: Could you tell me, please, what is worth visiting? (Can you tell me what is worth visiting?). This way you will get first-hand information about the most interesting attractions.

Let's imagine a very real situation: you are confused in the streets of an unfamiliar city and cannot find the attraction you are looking for. In this case, contact a passerby: apologize and ask for help. If you see a policeman next to you, ask him for help, it’s safer: in this case, you definitely won’t run into scammers.

You chose a “victim” for questioning, stopped him and attracted his attention. Now you should find out from a passer-by how you can get to the desired institution or chosen attraction. This is where you will need knowledge of the words from our first tablet. The following phrases are synonymous, that is, interchangeable. Choose those that are easier for you to remember, and simply substitute the name of the establishment you need in them.

It would also be a good idea to check with a passerby whether the attraction you need is far away: this way you can decide whether to use public transport or walk.

In this article we presented phrases for local orientation, and in the article “” we talked in detail about how to rent a car and communicate in public transport in English.

How to give directions in English

So, you have overcome in one fell swoop the language barrier and easily asked where you should go. Now you need to understand what your interlocutor is answering. To do this, study the following phrases in English. In addition, you can use these same sentences when meeting a foreigner in your own city: now you can easily explain to the person how to find the nearest bank or metro station - +10 to communication skills in English.

First, learn basic phrases that will help you indicate the direction of movement.

Here are simple answers that you can get in response to a question about the direction of movement:

And now a small life hack for those who are afraid of getting confused in the long explanations of a passerby: show your interlocutor a map and ask the question: Could you show me on the map? (Could you show me on the map?). Then they will simply show you where to go. This way you definitely won’t get confused or get lost.

Read the following dialogues to help you understand how to give directions in English:

Dialogue #1

- Excuse me, where is the theater located?
- Go left here and then take the second right. The theater will be around the corner.

Excuse me, where is the theater?
- Go left and then turn right at the second corner. The theater will be right around the corner.

Dialogue #2

- Excuse me, could you tell me how to get to the nearest bank?
- Go straight on for about 2 miles. You will see the bank directly opposite to the post office.

Excuse me, can you tell me how to get to the nearest bank?
- Go straight along this street for about 2 miles. You will see a bank directly opposite the post office.

Dialogue #3

- Excuse me, could you tell me the way to the museum?
- It's pretty far from here. Turn left and then right, go along for a mile or so and the museum is on your left.

Excuse me, can you tell me the way to the museum?
- It's quite far from here. Turn left and then right, go straight for about a mile and the museum will be on your left.

Dialogue #4

- Excuse me, I am looking for a cafe. Do you know how to get there?
- Go left here and turn right after you go past the bank. The cafe is in front of the market.

Excuse me, I'm looking for a cafe. Do you know how to get there?
- Go left and turn right after you pass the bank. The cafe will be right in front of the market.

We also recommend listening to an audio recording of a lesson for English learners from the BBC, where they talk about how to give directions. The text of the recording can be downloaded on the website, so you can easily understand this lesson.

In the institution

You have safely reached your chosen attraction or entertainment venue. Now you will need a few more phrases so that you can find out the price of the ticket, as well as some rules for visiting this place.

Inscriptions and signs in English

Useful sites to learn how to navigate the city in English

• Travel English Lessons- educational 2-3 minute videos in English for travelers. Native speakers speak clearly and use simple phrases, so watch, listen, get used to the sound of English speech and repeat the sentences after the speakers - at the same time learn everything you need.
• LearnEnglishFeelGood.com - site with exercises. Pay attention to the Sightseeing section, where you will find useful tasks to practice the learned vocabulary. Practical exercises will help you remember all the phrases.

In addition, do not forget about our school: it will allow as soon as possible improve your knowledge and you will feel confident abroad.

Complete list of words and phrases for download

Don't forget to download the list useful vocabulary. If he is with you on a trip, then you can always find the place you want to visit.

(*.pdf, 282 Kb)

Ready to test your knowledge? Then try to dial maximum amount points in our test.

Vocabulary test on the topic “How to navigate the city in English: a simple phrasebook”

We think that now you definitely won’t get lost in the city, and if this happens, you can easily cope with this trouble, using the help of local residents and phrases from our phrasebook. We wish you not to get lost in any situation, have a pleasant journey!

On this page you can study various places in the city in English. Some words are presented with transcription.

You can listen to all words with translation into Russian.

Also here you will find words that indicate different directions and locations in English. They will help every tourist navigate the city and understand where they are being directed.

City places:

gallery

lock

cinema
museum

theater

bank
pharmacy

Department store
market

shopping mall
supermarket

bridge
a park

river
road

square

Street

bus station
Railway station

travel agency

church
mosque

hospital
police station

mail
school

sports Complex

town hall

And now about directions and locations:

Go straight (ahead) - this is what they will tell you if you need to go straight without turning anywhere

Go past... - and so in case you need to pass by... something...

Turn right - turn right (by car or on foot - it doesn’t matter!)

Turn left - turn left

Turn around - turn around (usually this is said about cars)

Cross the street (cross the road)- cross the street (cross the road)

It "s opposite... - this is opposite... (buildings, post offices, etc.)

It"s next to... - this is next to...

It"s on the corner of the street (building)- it's on the corner of the street (building)

Behind... - behind... (some building, for example)

In front of. . - before...

You can find out more about prepositions of place

And pass behind useful phrases for tourists

I hope you found the information useful. If you have questions, ask!

P Let's talk about the road. Knowing how to show the way is equally important. Whether you are driving a car or walking, flying on an airplane or finding your way around the city, you need to know how to ask for directions, how to help, if possible, a person get somewhere.

Once, during my school years, a foreigner approached me on Red Square, opened a huge map and with a meaningful look asked how to get to some metro station (I don’t remember exactly). I was confused, opened my eyes and behaved much like the people from the famous Lingualeo video.

In general, the topic of movements, spaces and routes has always been unfavorite for me, probably because of my zealous desire not to perceive maps in general and all sorts of routes. Spatial idiocy, that's what it's called. I perceive the path purely intuitively. All sorts of maps and diagrams drive me into unconscious anxiety and quiet horror.

Well, okay about me. So, expressions and words for orientation in space.

Turn left/right. - Turn right/left, or Turn to the left/right

Go straight/straight on. - Go straight.

Traffic lights. - Traffic light. No, no, these are not traffic lights.

Crossroads - crossroads.

Take the first turning / road / on your left / right. -Take the first turn / left. right.

You`ll see .- You will see

You`ll come .- You will come.

Go on for about 2 km .- Continue walking 2 kilometers.

Go on for 5 minutes. - Continue walking for five minutes

Landmarks. - Landmarks.

Often we need to talk about landmarks in space, the road. But we don’t know how the “transition” will happen. It's a shame, isn't it?

Taxi Rank. - Taxi rank.

Level crossing - Where the crossing paths of a train and an ordinary road meet. Something like this.

Underpass. Underground crossing.

Flyover/Overpass. Overhead passage

Zebra crossing. Where a pedestrian needs to go.

Tunnel. Tunnel

Crossroads. And again a crossroads.

Junction. Such as forks, road intersections, nodes.

Fork of the road. Fork. If you go to the left, you will become a little goat.

Roundabout. Roundabout Circulation!

Main road. The main road.

Lane. Alley.

Use prepositions of direction! A lot can be said about prepositions. I already said. But there is more!

Gopast= Pass by and leave behind.

Go across= Cross something

Go along= Walk along

Go straight on= Walk clearly straight

Go up= go / go up

Go down= Go down

Gothrough= Drive through a city or a tunnel. Through

Gooutof= Go out, leave.

It's in front of you = It's in front of you

It's opposite the bank = This is opposite the bank.

It's on the corner= It's on the corner.

Typical conversation “Where to go.”

Excuse me, I`m looking for a bank. Sorry, I'm looking for a bank

Go straight on. Take the second street on the right. You will see a shop at the corner. Pass the shop. Bank will be just opposite you. It`s a 5-minute walk.

Go forward. Turn right on the second street. You will see a store on the corner. Go through the store. The bank will be right in front of you. Walk for about 5 minutes.

Idioms with directions and road.

Put the carriage before the horse. Drive the horses forward. Rushing, doing things in the wrong order.

You always put the carriage before the horse! You're always in a hurry!

At the crossroads. At crossroads. For example, at the crossroads of fate. At the crossroads. When there is an important decision in life and you have to choose