la ville
J'habite dans la ville de Paris.
I live in the city of Paris.
A large urban area with a high population density, often characterized by infrastructure, commerce, and cultural institutions.
La ville est animée jour et nuit.
The city is lively day and night.
Nous avons visité plusieurs villes pendant notre voyage.
We visited several cities during our trip.
In French, 'la ville' can also refer to a specific city when capitalized (e.g., 'la Ville de Lyon').
Collocations
Synonyms
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Capitalization
In French, 'la ville' is lowercase unless referring to a specific city name (e.g., 'la Ville de Paris').
Gold Rule
Contextual Usage
'La ville' is often used to contrast with 'la campagne' (the countryside).
Word Origin
From Old French 'vile' (marketplace), from Latin 'villa' (country house, later 'town').
Usage Notes
'La ville' is a common way to refer to a city in French. It can be used generically or to specify a particular city when combined with 'de' (e.g., 'la ville de Paris').