My neighbourhood (integrating lesson)

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

The outline of a description

A typical description of a neighbourhood 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
polit	pretty
itsusi	ugly
zaharra	old
berria	new
lasai	quiet
jendetsu	crowded
modernoa	modern
erdigunean	in the centre
kanpoaldean	on the outskirts

Remember: adjectives in Basque go after the noun and take the article -a. Auzo + handi + a → auzo handia (“the big neighbourhood”); auzo + txiki + a → auzo txikia.

Putting it all together: a 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 neighbourhood. The neighbourhood isn’t very big, but it’s quiet and pretty. In the neighbourhood there’s a small supermarket, two bars and a bakery. The school is next to the square, and the library behind the school. The park is big, and very good for children. There’s no cinema in the neighbourhood, but that’s not a problem: the cinema is in the centre, and it’s close by. 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 classmate doesn’t know your neighbourhood. Describe:

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

Cultural note: many Basque neighbourhoods and towns use the frontoia (fronton) and the eliza (church) as landmarks, usually next to each other and near the main square. If your neighbourhood has a square, a fronton or a church, that’s the best landmark to help someone find their way.