German Conversation · Level 18
90 words
German word
U-Bahn
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈuːˌbaːn/
Meaning
- feminine nounsubway
Example
Am Morgen sind die U-Bahnen sehr voll.
The subways are very crowded in the morning.
More examples
Wegen Bauarbeiten fährt die U-Bahn heute seltener.
Because of construction work, the subway is running less frequently today.
Core concept
A short-distance city train links many nearby stations beneath busy streets and sometimes on elevated or surface tracks.
Common phrases
mit der U-Bahn fahren
travel by subway
in die U-Bahn umsteigen
transfer to the subway
U-Bahn-Linie
subway line
Similar words
S-Bahn: A suburban and city rail service covering wider areas with more widely spaced stations.
Straßenbahn: A street-running tram that stops regularly along urban roads.
Metro: A rapid urban rail service running underground or on elevated tracks.
Definition in German
Städtische, meist unterirdische Bahn für kurze Fahrten innerhalb der Stadt mit vielen Haltestellen.
Word origin
The compound U-Bahn abbreviates Untergrundbahn, combining U for Untergrund with Bahn for a railway or rail service.
Usage tips
- The usual phrase for traveling by subway is mit der U-Bahn, with the feminine noun in the dative case after mit.
Related words
- U-Bahnliniesubway linenoun
- U-Bahnnetzsubway networknoun
- U-Bahnfahrtsubway ridenoun