My neighborhood (review lesson)

This lesson brings together everything from the unit: vocabulary for places, the locative -(e)an, spatial positions (aurrean, ondoan…), and the distinction between existing / being located (badago / dago). When you finish, you’ll be able to describe your neighborhood or town with real sentences.

The outline of a description

A typical description of a neighborhood or town follows this order:

1. What the place is like (size, character): Nire auzoa txikia eta polita da.
2. What there is and what there isn’t: Auzoan badago liburutegia, baina ez dago zinemarik.
3. Where each important thing is: Liburutegia plazaren ondoan dago.
4. Where you live and with whom: Ni Maialenen ondoan bizi naiz, etxe txiki batean.

Description vocabulary

Basque	English
handi	big
txiki	small
ertain	medium-sized
polit	pretty
itsusi	ugly
zaharra	old
berria	new
lasai	quiet
jendetsu	crowded
modernoa	modern
erdigunean	in the center
kanpoaldean	on the outskirts

Remember: in Basque, adjectives go after the noun and the article -a is added to them. Auzo + handi + a → auzo handia (“the big neighborhood”); auzo + txiki + a → auzo txikia.

Putting it all together: model example

Ni Iruñean bizi naiz, Txantrea auzoan. Auzoa ez da oso handia, baina lasaia eta polita da. Auzoan badago supermerkatu txiki bat, bi taberna eta okindegi bat. Eskola plazaren ondoan dago, eta liburutegia eskolaren atzean. Parkea handia da, eta umeentzat oso ona. Auzoan ez dago zinemarik, baina hori ez da arazoa: zinema erdigunean dago, eta gertu dago. Nire etxea bigarren solairuan dago, kale lasai batean.

Free translation:

I live in Pamplona, in the Txantrea neighborhood. The neighborhood isn’t very big, but it’s quiet and pretty. In the neighborhood there’s a small supermarket, two bars, and a bakery. The school is next to the square, and the library is behind the school. The park is big, and very good for children. There’s no movie theater in the neighborhood, but that’s not a problem: the movie theater is in the center, and it’s nearby. My house is on the second floor, on a quiet street.

Questions you’ll be asked

Question	Type of answer
Non bizi zara?	Place + locative: X-(e)an bizi naiz.
Nolakoa da zure auzoa?	Adjectives: Polita da, txikia da…
Zer dago zure auzoan?	Existence: Badago…, badaude…
Ba al dago tabernarik?	Yes/no: Bai, badago / Ez, ez dago tabernarik.
Non dago liburutegia?	Position: Plazaren ondoan dago.

Your turn

Imagine your partner doesn’t know your neighborhood. Describe:

1. What it’s called and where it is.
2. If it’s big or small, old or modern.
3. What three places there are (using badago / badaude).
4. What three things there aren’t (using ez dago … rik).
5. Where your house is specifically (street, floor, next to what).

Cultural note: many Basque neighborhoods and towns use the frontoia (pelota court) and the eliza (church) as points of reference, usually one next to the other and near the main square. If your neighborhood has a square, pelota court, or church, it’s the best reference point to give someone directions.