Locations, Places, and Buildings in English. Oh my!

English loves naming places. The place you buy bread, the place you get your passport fixed, the place you panic because you forgot your ticket — we have a word for all of it.

Below are grouped, real-life location words you will actually use. (Not “the royal asparagus museum.” Unless that exists. In that case… send photos.)

Visual Cards: The “I Actually Go Here” Places

Eight everyday spots. Click Hear, then copy the example sentence for instant real-life English.

Everyday errands • Quiet vibes

library

A public building where you borrow books (and sometimes pretend you are studying).

For example: I will meet you at the library after work.

Health • Big building

hospital

A place for medical care, doctors, and emergencies.

For example: The hospital is two blocks from the bus stop.

Food shopping • Daily life

supermarket

A large store that sells groceries and household items.

For example: I forgot milk, so I am going to the supermarket.

Coffee • Small place

café

A small restaurant where you buy coffee, tea, and light food.

For example: Let us grab a coffee at the café near your office.

Travel • Planes

airport

A place where airplanes arrive and depart.

For example: We should get to the airport early for security.

Travel • Trains

train station

A place where you catch a train.

For example: The train station is across from the mall.

Culture • Indoors

museum

A building where you see art, history, or science displays.

For example: We spent the afternoon at the museum downtown.

Shopping • Many stores

shopping mall

A large building with many shops (and usually a lot of walking).

For example: There is a new bookstore in the shopping mall.

Table Of Words: More Places, More Precision

Grouped by situation, so your brain does not melt.

Group	Word	Meaning	Example
Health	pharmacy	A store where you buy medicine.	I need to stop by the pharmacy to pick up vitamins.
Errands	post office	A place where you send mail and packages.	The post office closes at five, so we should go now.
Government	city hall	The main building for a city’s local government.	The meeting is at city hall on the second floor.
Law	courthouse	A building where legal trials and court services happen.	The courthouse is next to the police station.
Work	warehouse	A large building used to store goods and packages.	The warehouse ships orders every morning.
Travel	hostel	A budget place to stay, often with shared rooms.	We booked a hostel near the old town.
Sports	stadium	A large place for sports games and concerts.	The stadium gets very loud during finals.
Driving	parking lot	An open area where cars park.	I left my car in the parking lot behind the supermarket.

Optional Variants: Same Idea, Different Vibe

English has multiple names for the same place. Because… of course it does.

Main word	Variant	When people use it	Example
supermarket	grocery store	Both are common; “grocery store” is super common in North America.	There is a grocery store on the corner that sells fresh fruit.
café	coffee shop	“Coffee shop” sounds casual and common; “café” can feel a bit more vibe-y.	We worked from a coffee shop with strong Wi-Fi.
shopping mall	shopping center	“Shopping center” is often used for a smaller mall, or one with outdoor stores.	The new shopping center has a cinema and a food court.
train station	railway station	Same meaning; “railway station” is more common in British English.	The railway station is a ten-minute walk from the hotel.
parking lot	car park	Same meaning; “car park” is common in British English and many other regions.	The car park is full, so we might need street parking.
neighborhood	neighbourhood	Same word, different spelling: US vs UK spelling.	This neighbourhood has great street food at night.