Japanese word

トンネル

Pronunciation

Romajitonneru

Meaning

  • nountunnel

Example

電車はトンネルを抜けました。den sha wa to n ne ru o nu ke ma shi ta

The train came out of the tunnel.

Illustration for トンネル (tunnel)

More examples

山の下に新しいトンネルができました。yama no shita ni atara shi i to n ne ru ga de ki ma shi ta

A new tunnel was built under the mountain.

Core concept

It centers on moving through a covered route cut into or beneath the ground instead of going over an obstacle.

Common phrases

  • トンネルに入るto n ne ru ni hai ru

    enter a tunnel

  • トンネルを通るto n ne ru o tō ru

    go through a tunnel

  • トンネルを抜けるto n ne ru o nu ke ru

    come out of a tunnel

Similar words

地下道chikadō: A passage below the ground intended mainly for pedestrians.
坑道kōdō: A passage dug underground to support mining operations or provide access to a mine.

Definition in Japanese

道路や鉄道などを通すため、山や地下に設けた細長い通路。dō ro ya tetsu dō na do o tō su ta me yama ya chi ka ni mō ke ta hoso naga i tsū ro

Word origin

The Japanese loanword トンネル (tonneru) comes from English tunnel, whose older French source tonel referred to a barrel and led to the sense of a barrel-shaped passage.

Usage tips

  • English uses tunnel as a verb as well as a noun, as in a small animal that tunnels through the ground.

Word lists with this word