Spanish word

carril

Pronunciation

IPA/kaˈril/

Meaning

  • masculine nounlane

Example

No cambies de carril sin señalizar.

Don't change lanes without signaling.

Illustration for carril (lane)

More examples

Circuló por el carril izquierdo para adelantar.

He drove in the left lane to overtake.

Core concept

Narrow strip of roadway, marked or understood, meant for vehicles to travel one after another or for a specific use.

Common phrases

  • salir del carril

    move out of the lane

  • carril de adelantamiento

    overtaking lane

Similar words

acera: Paved area at the side of a road designed for pedestrians to walk safely.
vía: Entire path or corridor used for travel by people or vehicles.
calzada: Paved part of a road intended for vehicle traffic.

Definition in Spanish

Franja estrecha de la vía, marcada o entendida, destinada a que circulen vehículos uno tras otro o a un uso específico.

Word origin

Spanish carril derives from Latin carrus 'cart' through the diminutive carriculum in Vulgar Latin and Old Romance, originally denoting a cart track and later taking on the meaning of a vehicle lane.

Usage tips

  • The noun is masculine (el carril) and commonly combines with a purpose word (for example carril bici or carril bus) to name dedicated lanes.

Related words

  • encarrilarset on courseverb
  • descarrilarderailverb

Word lists with this word