Meaning

Primary

Subway

Alternatives

The Underground, The Tube, The Metro

Word Type

noun

Explanation

The ground below iron is iron under the ground. It isn't a deposit of iron, though. It's man-made. And what's made of iron? Trains. In this case, because it's underground, it's a subway. Depending on where you live, you might call it the Underground, the Tube, or the Metro

Reading

ちかてつ
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

This is a jukugo word, which usually means on'yomi readings from the kanji. If you know the readings of your kanji you'll know how to read this as well.

Context

Common Word Combinations

  • 地下鉄に乗る

    to ride the subway

    地下鉄に乗りかえる

    to transfer to the subway

    地下鉄に乗車する

    to ride the subway

Context Sentences

私は「東京メトロ」という地下鉄を使って大学へ行っていました。

I went to college using a subway called "Tokyo Metro."

地下鉄の出口は色々な所にあります。

There are subway exits in various places.

ニューヨークの地下鉄には本当に色々な人が乗ってますね。

There are many different kinds of people on the New York subway.

Kanji Composition