# City, directions and transport in Esperanto

Source: https://esperantopedia.org/phrases/city-transport/
Language: en
Updated: 2026-10-08

> City is urbo, left maldekstre, right dekstre: Esperanto words for places, vehicles and directions, how to ask the way, and when -n shows motion.

A city is ***urbo***, a street is ***strato***, and you get around by ***iri*** "to go" or ***veturi*** "to travel in a vehicle". Directions are adverbs: ***dekstre*** means "on the right" and ***dekstren*** "to the right", because the ending *-n* marks movement. This page adds city vocabulary and directions to the "Getting around" table in [travel phrases](https://esperantopedia.org/phrases/travel/), which covers tickets, stations and the first direction phrases. Pronunciation guides split words into syllables, with the stressed syllable in capitals.

## Places in the city

| English | Esperanto | Pronunciation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| city, town | *urbo* | UR-bo | |
| small town | *urbeto* | ur-BE-to | *-et-* "small" |
| village | *vilaĝo* | vi-LA-ĝo | |
| capital | *ĉefurbo* | ĉe-FUR-bo | *ĉef-* "main" |
| city centre | *urbocentro*, *centro* | ur-bo-CEN-tro, CEN-tro | |
| district | *kvartalo* | kvar-TA-lo | |
| street | *strato* | STRA-to | |
| square | *placo* | PLA-co | |
| bridge | *ponto* | PON-to | |
| crossroads | *vojkruciĝo* | voj-kru-CI-ĝo | |
| traffic light | *semaforo* | se-ma-FO-ro | ReVo also lists *trafiklumo* |
| park | *parko* | PAR-ko | |
| bank | *banko* | BAN-ko | |
| post office | *poŝtoficejo* | poŝ-to-fi-CE-jo | |
| church, place of worship | *preĝejo* | pre-ĜE-jo | *preĝi* "pray" |
| museum | *muzeo* | mu-ZE-o | |
| hospital | *hospitalo* | hos-pi-TA-lo | |
| pharmacy | *apoteko* | a-po-TE-ko | |
| supermarket | *superbazaro* | su-per-ba-ZA-ro | *super-* + *bazaro* "market" |

Many names use *-ej-* "place": *preĝi* gives *preĝejo*, *halti* "to stop" gives *haltejo*, and *buso* + *haltejo* gives *bushaltejo*. *Flug-* "flight" + *haveno* "harbour" is *flughaveno*, "airport". See [word building](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/word-building/).

## Vehicles and public transport

| English | Esperanto | Pronunciation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| car | *aŭto* | AŬ-to | Short for *aŭtomobilo* |
| bus | *buso* | BU-so | Short for *aŭtobuso* |
| train | *trajno* | TRAJ-no | |
| tram | *tramo* | TRA-mo | |
| underground, metro | *metroo* | me-TRO-o | |
| bicycle | *biciklo* | bi-CI-klo | *biciklisto* "cyclist" |
| taxi | *taksio* | tak-SI-o | |
| aeroplane | *aviadilo* | a-vi-a-DI-lo | *aviado* "aviation" + *-il-* "tool" |
| ship | *ŝipo* | ŜI-po | |
| railway station | *stacidomo* | sta-ci-DO-mo | |

*Aŭtobuso*, *aviadilo* and *taksio* come from the Academy's Official Additions, not from the original Fundamento word list.

## Verbs of movement

| English | Esperanto | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| to go | *iri* | I-ri | *Mi iras al la parko.* – I am going to the park. |
| to travel by vehicle | *veturi* | ve-TU-ri | *Ni veturas per trajno.* – We travel by train. |
| to walk | *piediri* | pi-e-DI-ri | *Mi iras piede.* – I go on foot. |
| to fly | *flugi* | FLU-gi | *Mia fratino flugas al Romo.* – My sister is flying to Rome. |
| to arrive | *alveni* | al-VE-ni | *Ni alvenos en Parizo je la deka.* – We will arrive in Paris at ten. |
| to leave | *foriri* | fo-RI-ri | *La buso foriras de la stacidomo.* – The bus leaves the station. |
| to cross | *transiri* | tran-SI-ri | *Ni transiras la ponton.* – We are crossing the bridge. |
| to go in, to go out | *eniri*, *eliri* | e-NI-ri, e-LI-ri | *Ŝi eniras en la muzeon.* – She goes into the museum. |

*Iri* is the general verb. ReVo defines it as moving with your limbs or in a vehicle, and *veturi* as going without walking, carried by some means. So *Li iros per buso* "He will go by bus" is correct, and *veturi* stresses the ride. Name the vehicle with *per*: *per buso*, *per trajno*, *per biciklo*. The prefix *al-* gives arrival and *for-* departure; see [prefixes](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/prefixes/).

## Left, right and straight ahead

| English | Esperanto | Pronunciation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| on the right | *dekstre* | DEKS-tre | Position: *La banko estas dekstre.* – The bank is on the right. |
| to the right | *dekstren* | DEKS-tren | Movement: *Iru dekstren.* – Go right. |
| on the left | *maldekstre* | mal-DEKS-tre | *mal-* gives the opposite |
| to the left | *maldekstren* | mal-DEKS-tren | |
| straight, directly | *rekte* | REK-te | No *-n*: *Iru rekte.* – Go straight. |
| forward, backward | *antaŭen*, *malantaŭen* | an-TAŬ-en, ma-lan-TAŬ-en | *rekte antaŭen* "straight ahead" |
| back (the way you came) | *reen* | RE-en | *tien kaj reen* "there and back"; *returne* has the same sense |
| up, down | *supren*, *malsupren* | SU-pren, mal-SU-pren | |
| near, far | *proksime*, *malproksime* | prok-SI-me, mal-prok-SI-me | *proksime de la parko* "near the park" |

The adjectives are *dekstra* and *maldekstra*: *sur la dekstra flanko* "on the right-hand side". In *reen* the *-n* cannot be dropped, because *ree* means "again". The same pair, one form for place and one for direction, works for *tie* and *tien*, *kie* and *kien*, *hejme* and *hejmen*; see [adverbs](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/adverbs/) and [correlatives](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/correlatives/).

## North, south, east and west

| English | Noun | Pronunciation | In, at (*-e*) | Towards (*-en*) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| north | *nordo* | NOR-do | *norde* | *norden* |
| south | *sudo* | SU-do | *sude* | *suden* |
| east | *oriento* | o-ri-EN-to | *oriente* | *orienten* |
| west | *okcidento* | ok-ci-DEN-to | *okcidente* | *okcidenten* |

Use *norde de* for "north of": *La parko estas norde de la centro.* – "The park is north of the centre." Use *-en* for movement: *Ni veturas norden.* – "We are driving north." The nouns name regions: *en la nordo de la lando* "in the north of the country".

## Next to, opposite, behind

| Esperanto | English | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| *apud* | next to | A-pud | *apud la parko* |
| *kontraŭ* | opposite | KON-traŭ | *kontraŭ la banko* |
| *antaŭ* | in front of | AN-taŭ | *antaŭ la muzeo* |
| *malantaŭ* | behind | ma-LAN-taŭ | *malantaŭ la preĝejo* |
| *inter* | between | IN-ter | *inter la ponto kaj la placo* |
| *ĉe* | at, by | ĈE | *ĉe la semaforo* |
| *ĝis* | as far as | ĜIS | *ĝis la ponto* |

More on [prepositions](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/prepositions/).

## Asking the way

| Esperanto | English |
|---|---|
| *Pardonu, kie estas la apoteko?* | Excuse me, where is the pharmacy? |
| *Kiel mi iru al la muzeo?* | How do I get to the museum? |
| *Ĉu la banko estas proksime?* | Is the bank nearby? |
| *Kien iras ĉi tiu tramo?* | Where does this tram go? |

*Kiel mi iru?* literally asks "How should I go?": the ending *-u* expresses will, and PMEG notes that a question like *Ĉu ni iru…?* often works as a polite proposal.

| Esperanto | English |
|---|---|
| *Iru rekte antaŭen ĝis la ponto.* | Go straight ahead as far as the bridge. |
| *Turniĝu dekstren ĉe la dua strato.* | Turn right at the second street. |
| *Ĉe la semaforo turniĝu maldekstren.* | Turn left at the traffic light. |
| *Transiru la straton kaj iru maldekstren.* | Cross the street and go left. |
| *La muzeo estas apud la parko, kontraŭ la banko.* | The museum is next to the park, opposite the bank. |
| *Ĝi ne estas malproksime. Vi estos tie post kvin minutoj.* | It is not far. You will be there in five minutes. |

*Dua* "second" is an ordinal number, formed from *du* with *-a*; see [numbers](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/numbers/). To turn, ReVo gives *turniĝi* and *sin turni* "turn oneself" for changing direction, while plain *turni* means turning something, such as a key.

## Why "en la urbon"? Direction with -n

| Place (no *-n*) | Direction (*-n*) |
|---|---|
| *Mi estas en la urbo.* – I am in the city. | *Mi iras en la urbon.* – I am going into the city. |
| *La infanoj kuras en la parko.* – The children run about in the park. | *La infanoj kuras en la parkon.* – The children run into the park. |
| *Li estas hejme.* – He is at home. | *Li iras hejmen.* – He is going home. |
| *Kie vi estas?* – Where are you? | *Kien vi iras?* – Where are you going? |

There are four ways to say "I am going to the city":

| Esperanto | How it works |
|---|---|
| *Mi iras al la urbo.* | The preposition *al* already means "to", so no *-n*. The usual choice. |
| *Mi iras en la urbon.* | Into the city: a place preposition plus *-n*. |
| *Mi iras urben.* | The place adverb *urbe* "in town" plus *-n*. |
| *Mi veturos Parizon.* | A name plus *-n*, as in the Fundamento. PMEG calls this rare and nearly archaic; *al Parizo* is normal. |

Never add *-n* after *al*, *ĝis*, *el* or *de*, which show direction by themselves: *ĝis la ponto*, *el la urbo*. With *alveni*, PMEG accepts both *alveni en Parizo* and *alveni en Parizon*. The full rules are on the [accusative](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/accusative/) page.

## Common questions

### How do you say "city" in Esperanto?

*Urbo*. A small town is *urbeto*, the capital is *ĉefurbo* and a village is *vilaĝo*.

### What is the difference between iri and veturi?

*Iri* is "to go" on foot or in a vehicle. *Veturi* means to go carried by a vehicle, such as a car, train or ship: *veturi per trajno*.

### How do you say left and right in Esperanto?

*Maldekstre* and *dekstre* tell where something is; *maldekstren* and *dekstren* tell where to go. The adjectives are *maldekstra* and *dekstra*.

### How do you ask for directions in Esperanto?

Say *Pardonu, kiel mi iru al…?* – "Excuse me, how do I get to…?" Follow with *Ĉu ĝi estas malproksime?* – "Is it far?"

### How do you say north, south, east and west in Esperanto?

*Nordo*, *sudo*, *oriento* and *okcidento*. Add *-en* for direction (*norden* "northwards") and *-e* for position (*norde de la urbo* "north of the town").

## Sources

- [PMEG: N-finaĵo por direkto](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/rolmontriloj/n/direkto.html)
- [PMEG: Vola modo, U-finaĵo](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/verboj/vola.html)
- ReVo, places: [urbo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/urb.html), [vilaĝo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/vilagx.html), [kvartalo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/kvarta.html), [strato](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/strat.html), [placo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/plac.html), [ponto](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/pont.html), [semaforo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/semafo.html), [parko](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/park.html), [banko](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/bank.html), [poŝto](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/posxt.html), [preĝi](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/pregx.html), [muzeo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/muze.html), [hospitalo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/hospit.html), [apoteko](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/apotek.html), [bazaro](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/bazar.html)
- ReVo, vehicles: [aŭto](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/auxt.html), [buso](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/bus.html), [trajno](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/trajn.html), [tramo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/tram.html), [metroo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/metro.html), [biciklo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/bicikl.html), [taksio](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/taksi.html), [aviadilo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/aviad.html), [ŝipo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/sxip.html), [haveno](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/haven.html), [stacio](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/staci.html)
- ReVo, verbs and directions: [iri](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/ir.html), [veturi](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/vetur.html), [flugi](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/flug.html), [alveni](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/ven.html), [turni](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/turn.html), [dekstra](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/dekstr.html), [rekta](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/rekt.html), [nordo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/nord.html), [sudo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/sud.html), [oriento](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/orient.html), [okcidento](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/okcide.html)