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
N2
行っていらっしゃい
itteirasshai
have a nice day, see you
N2
行ってらっしゃい
itterasshai
have a nice day, see you
N2
売行き
ureyuki
sales
N2
売れ行き
ureyuki
sales, demand
N2
行事
gyouji
event, function
N2
行列
gyouretsu
line, procession; matrix (math)
N2
孝行
koukou
filial piety
N2
並行
heikou
(going) side by side, concurrent, at the same time
N2
夜行
yakou
night train, night travel