Inklingo

How to Say "subway" in Spanish

English → Spanish

metro

MEH-troh/ˈme.tɾo/

nounA2public transportation
Use 'metro' when referring to the general public transportation system that runs underground or on elevated tracks, especially in urban areas. It's the most common and universally understood term.
A bright, modern subway train pulling into an underground station, seen from the platform.

Examples

¿Dónde está la parada de metro más cercana?

Where is the nearest subway stop?

Es más rápido ir en metro que en autobús.

It's faster to go by subway than by bus.

Toma la línea azul del metro hasta la estación central.

Take the blue subway line to the central station.

Using Transportation

To say how you travel, use the preposition 'en' (in/by) before the transportation method: 'Voy en metro' (I go by subway).

Preposition Choice

Mistake: “Voy por metro.”

Correction: Voy en metro.

subterráneo

nounB1public transportation
Use 'subterráneo' to specifically emphasize the underground nature of the public transportation system, or when referring to the system itself as an underground network.

Examples

Voy al trabajo en el subterráneo todos los días.

I go to work on the subway every day.

Choosing between 'metro' and 'subterráneo'

The most common mistake is overusing 'subterráneo'. While technically correct for an underground system, 'metro' is the standard and preferred term in most Spanish-speaking countries for the subway. Only use 'subterráneo' if you want to specifically highlight its underground aspect.

Related Translations

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