French word

métro

Pronunciation

IPA/metʁo/

Meaning

  • masculine nounsubway

Example

Où est la station de métro la plus proche?

Where is the nearest subway station?

Illustration for métro (subway)

More examples

Le métro arrive toutes les cinq minutes.

The subway arrives every five minutes.

Core concept

An underground city railway carrying passengers between many closely spaced stations.

Common phrases

  • prendre le métro

    take the subway

  • ticket de métro

    subway ticket

  • station de métro

    subway station

Similar words

bus: A road vehicle that carries passengers along fixed routes between designated stops.
tramway: A street-running rail vehicle with frequent stops for short urban trips.
train: A rail vehicle used for longer trips between cities and suburbs.
RER: A rapid rail service linking a city center with its suburbs.

Definition in French

Moyen de transport en commun urbain circulant surtout sous terre et desservant de nombreuses stations proches les unes des autres.

Word origin

Métro is a shortening of French métropolitain, from chemin de fer métropolitain, the term used for an urban railway.

Usage tips

  • Métro is masculine, so standard forms include le métro, un métro, and prendre le métro.

Word lists with this word