Word
急行
Meaning in Englishexpress train or bus
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
急行 means an express train or rapid service. In railway contexts it labels a faster class of passenger service than local trains. The term can also appear as 急行する (kyūkō suru) to mean hurry or hasten.
Main meanings
- Expedited rail service that skips several stops, providing a quicker journey than local trains.
- As a verb phrase 急行する, to hurry or rush, used to express urgency in general contexts.
- Occurs in headlines or notices to denote urgency or rapid action beyond railways.
How to use it
Used in timetables, railway announcements, and formal notices. As a noun it refers to the express train service, and as 急行する it means to hurry or hasten.
Variants and close terms
- 特急 (tokkyū) — limited express
- 普通 (futsū) — local train
- 急行列車 (kyūkō resha) — express train
Composition
- 急: urgent, sudden; speed and immediacy
- 行: go, travel; movement; service when combined forms a travel or movement concept
Etymology
kyū from 急 and kō from 行; combined as kyūkō.
Origin
Meiji period onward; adopted into railway terminology to denote express service faster than local trains.
Word class
Noun (名詞)
Related words by kanji and components
N1
行為
koui
act, deed, conduct
N1
行進
koushin
march, parade
N1
現行
genkou
present, current, in operation
N1
応急
oukyuu
emergency
N1
行い
okonai
conduct, behavior, action
N1
強行
kyoukou
forcing, enforcement
N1
行政
gyousei
administration
N1
緊急
kinkyuu
urgent, pressing, emergency
N1
施行
shikou
enforcement, operation