ferrocarril

fe-rro-ka-RREEL

railway?the system of tracks and trains,railroad?the infrastructure or company

Also:train?used formally or historically to refer to the vehicle itself

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El ferrocarril llegó a esta ciudad en 1850.

The railway arrived in this city in 1850.

Prefiero viajar por ferrocarril porque es más ecológico.

I prefer to travel by rail because it is more eco-friendly.

This word has two 'rr' sounds. You must roll your tongue strongly for both. It's the classic 'trilled' sound that Spanish is famous for!

Words ending in '-il' are usually masculine. Use 'el' before ferrocarril.

Mistake: "Using 'ferrocarril' to say 'I'm on the train right now.'"

Correction: Use 'tren' for the physical vehicle you ride. Use 'ferrocarril' for the tracks, the system, or the company.

When buying a ticket, you can say 'un billete de ferrocarril,' though 'un billete de tren' is much more common in daily conversation.

Question 1 of 2

Which word would you use to describe the actual machine you board to travel?

ferroviario(related to railways) - adjective

ferrocarrilero(railway worker) - noun

Is 'ferrocarril' used in every Spanish-speaking country?

Yes, it is understood everywhere, though some countries might prefer 'vía' for the tracks and 'tren' for the service.

How do I pronounce the double 'rr'?

Place the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth (just behind your teeth) and exhale so the tongue vibrates rapidly.