Spanish Conversation · Level 119
60 words
Spanish word
túnel
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈtunel/
Meaning
- masculine nountunnel
Example
El coche pasó por el túnel.
The car passed through the tunnel.
More examples
Los peatones entraron en el túnel cuando empezó a llover.
The pedestrians went into the tunnel when it began to rain.
Core concept
Tube-shaped enclosed passage dug under the ground for people, vehicles, or water.
Common phrases
pasar por el túnel
go through the tunnel
entrar en el túnel
go into the tunnel
salir del túnel
come out of the tunnel
Similar words
paso subterráneo: Underpass situated beneath a road or railway that lets people or vehicles pass underneath.
pasadizo: Short, narrow passageway within a structure that links rooms or interior sections.
galería: Horizontal gallery excavated in mines or works for access, airflow, or moving materials.
Definition in Spanish
Espacio alargado y cerrado excavado bajo tierra o en una montaña para permitir el paso de personas, vehículos o el paso de agua.
Word origin
The Spanish word túnel comes from Old French tunnel and ultimately from Latin tunna 'barrel', whose sense of a hollow cylinder extended to a tube-like underground passage.
Usage tips
- Spanish commonly uses the preposition por to express movement through a tunnel, while atravesar stresses crossing its interior and the verb choice often depends on the vehicle.
Other meanings
- underpassnoun
Opposites
- puentebridgenoun