Picture scene
Quartier or banlieue? Explore a city and its neighbourhoods
Explore a French town scene to distinguish quartier and banlieue. Learn dans le quartier and en banlieue, then answer four questions about location.
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In short
Un quartier is a neighbourhood or district within a town or city. La banlieue is the area of towns and suburbs around a larger city. A town en banlieue can have several quartiers of its own.
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From the city centre to a suburban neighbourhood
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What is the difference between quartier and banlieue?
| French | English |
|---|---|
| un quartier de la ville | a neighbourhood of the city |
| le quartier de la gare | the station neighbourhood |
| la banlieue de la ville | the area around the city |
| une commune de banlieue | a suburban municipality |
| un quartier de banlieue | a neighbourhood in a suburban area |
The smaller town on the right has a square, homes and a library. It can also have a station neighbourhood, a centre and other quartiers. Quartier tells you which part of a settlement; banlieue relates the area to a larger city.
- Lina
J’habite dans le quartier de la gare. Et toi ?
I live in the station neighbourhood. And you?
- Hugo
J’habite en banlieue, dans une petite commune.
I live in the suburbs, in a small town.
- Lina
Ton quartier est loin du centre ?
Is your neighbourhood far from the centre?
- Hugo
Non, la place et la bibliothèque sont à dix minutes à pied.
No, the square and the library are a ten-minute walk away.
Dans le quartier or en banlieue?
| French | English |
|---|---|
| J’habite dans ce quartier. | I live in this neighbourhood. |
| J’habite en banlieue. | I live in the suburbs. |
| Je travaille dans le centre-ville. | I work in the city centre. |
Quartier is masculine: ce quartier. Banlieue is feminine: cette banlieue. To describe the atmosphere, add the words you mean: un quartier calme, une rue animée, un quartier résidentiel. Location and atmosphere are separate details.