French Conversation · Level 171
15 words
French word
souterrain
Pronunciation
IPA/sutɛʁɛ̃/
Meaning
- masculine noununderground passage
Example
Le marché est relié au parking par un souterrain.
The market is connected to the parking lot by an underground passage.
More examples
On prend souvent le souterrain pour éviter la rue.
People often use the underground passage to avoid the street.
Core concept
An underground walkway that lets people move directly between two connected sites while staying below street level.
Common phrases
un souterrain commercial
an underground passage in a shopping arcade
descendre dans le souterrain
descend into the underground passage
Similar words
passage: A passage inside a building or structure for people to walk through.
tunnel: A long covered passage built for vehicles or trains to travel through.
Definition in French
Désigne un passage aménagé sous la surface du sol qui relie deux lieux et permet de traverser sans remonter à l'extérieur.
Word origin
The French word derives from Latin subterraneus through Old French, with sub meaning "under" and terra meaning "earth"; the adjective was later used as a noun.
Usage tips
- French usually uses souterrain for a pedestrian underpass, while tunnel more often names a passage for roads, railways, or longer routes.
Other meanings
- undergroundadjective
Opposites
- surfacesurfacenoun