Word
地下鉄
Meaning in Englishsubway, underground train
Animated kanji stroke order
Sentence
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Word context
What it means
What does 地下鉄 mean? It is the subway or underground railway system in a city, a form of rapid transit that primarily operates underground to connect urban areas through tunnels and stations.
Main meanings
- Subway system: an urban network of underground rail lines for rapid transit
- Underground railway: trains operating mainly beneath ground level in metropolitan areas
How to use it
Used in formal and casual contexts to refer to urban subway systems; common on maps and signage, in news reporting, and in everyday talk about commuting or travel within a city.
Variants and close terms
- Metro (romaji: metoro) — common signage and loanword usage
- 地下鉄道 (romaji: chikatetsudō) — older term for underground railway
Composition
- 地 ground, earth
- 下 below, under
- 鉄 iron, steel (used in railway terms)
- Together they express an underground railway concept, i.e., a rail system located beneath the surface
Etymology
Formed by abbreviation of 地下鉄道 (underground railway); the final kanji 鉄 is part of railway-related terms and the reading ちかてつ is retained.
Word class
noun (名詞)
Word
Related words by kanji and components
N1
地獄
jigoku
hell
N1
下心
shitagokoro
secret intention, motive
N1
下調べ
shitashirabe
preliminary investigation
N1
城下
jouka
land near the castle
N1
植民地
shokuminchi
colony
N1
製鉄
seitetsu
iron manufacture
N1
地形
chikei
landform, geographical features, topography
N1
鉄鋼
tekkou
iron and steel
N1
鉄棒
tetsubou
iron rod, crowbar, horizontal bar (gymnastics)
Kanji