El suburbio o los suburbios

[laepelba]

Hopefully this will be a simple question. ¡Ojalá!

Si quiero decir: "I live in the suburbs", en inglés se usa el plural. Obviamente, no vivo en diversos lugares. Vivo en un lugar. Probablamente es como los "noncount nouns" de Irmamar....

En español, ¿se dice "vivo en los suburbios" o "vivo en el suburbio"?

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

We don't hear "suburbios" that often. "Afueras (de la ciudad)" is more common.

"Vivo en los suburbios (de Washington)" = "vivo en las afueras (de Washington)"- when you just mean that you live in the outskirts of a city.

"Vivo Rockville/Gaithersburg/Bethesda, que es un suburbio de Washington D.C." - when you're including the name of the suburb.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

We don't hear "suburbios" that often. "Afueras (de la ciudad)" is more common.

"Vivo en los suburbios (de Washington)" = "vivo en las afueras (de Washington)"- when you just mean that you live in the outskirts of a city.

"Vivo Rockville/Gaithersburg/Bethesda, que es un suburbio de Washington D.C." - when you're including the name of the suburb.

Thanks for that explanation, Malila. Las afueras. Okay! Interesting that you can name many of the suburbs of Washington. I'm on the Virginia side of the Beltway, by the way ... you named several 'burbs in Maryland.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

That's what real estate agents in Google are useful for.

[laepelba]

[irmamar]

Usually we say "barrio", instead of "suburbio". I've seen "suburbios" in literature or in films, usually used in plural. But "suburbio" in singular is correct.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

In Mexico, "barrio" is more for the "inside" of the city. For the outskirts we use "afueras".
"Suburbio" is understood precisely because of American films and books.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

In Mexico, "barrio" is more for the "inside" of the city. For the outskirts we use "afueras".
"Suburbio" is understood precisely because of American films and books.

Ugh. The ugly Americans. Again.........

[chileno]

Originally Posted by laepelba

Ugh. The ugly Americans. Again.........

no, just fact. Americans dominate the film industry and much of it filters down. :-)

And now with the internet the info is available practically instant.

[poli]

Incidentally suburbio in some countries has an extremely negative connotation which refers to the region where the poorest of the poor live as in the favelas of Rio, chabolas, etc

[chileno]

Originally Posted by poli

Incidentally suburbio in some countries has an extremely negative connotation which refers to the region where the poorest of the poor live as in the favelas of Rio, chabolas, etc

Generalmente se les llama las barriadas.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Originally Posted by chileno

Generalmente se les llama las barriadas.

Cierto... y no siempre están asociadas a las afueras de la ciudad.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

Cierto... y no siempre están asociadas a las afueras de la ciudad.

Correcto. Lo dije porque por ejemplo las favelas de Río no están precisamente en la afueras de la ciudad....