city map

Meaning

A city map is a visual guide of a city's streets, landmarks, and public transport routes. It is used by travelers to find directions and navigate unfamiliar urban areas. While digital maps on smartphones are common today, paper city maps are still widely used by tourists.

Examples

• Excuse me, where can I get a free city map?

  Excuse me, where can I get a free city map?

• We looked at the city map to find the nearest subway station.

  We looked at the city map to find the nearest subway station.

• The hotel receptionist marked our room and the museum on the city map.

  The hotel receptionist marked our room and the museum on the city map.

• I always download an offline city map before I travel.

  I always download an offline city map before I travel.

• This city map is a bit old, so some new streets are missing.

  This city map is a bit old, so some new streets are missing.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I bought a city's map at the station.

  ✓ I bought a city map at the station.

  We use 'city' as a noun modifier (like an adjective) before 'map'. You do not need a possessive apostrophe 's.

• ✗ Let's look at the town map to find the Eiffel Tower.

  ✓ Let's look at the city map to find the Eiffel Tower.

  'Town' refers to a smaller urban area. For large, famous urban destinations like Paris or New York, always use 'city map'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• Can you show me where the museum is on this ___?

  💡 A visual guide showing streets and landmarks.

  Show answer

  city map

• The tourist office gives out a free ___ to all visitors.

  💡 A paper or digital guide of the local streets.

  Show answer

  city map