線路（せんろ、senro）
- train track

The Japanese word 線路 (せんろ) refers to a "railroad track," "railway line," or "railroad." It’s the physical infrastructure upon which trains travel. This includes the rails themselves, as well as the supporting structures like sleepers (ties), ballast (gravel), and sometimes other related elements like signaling systems. It can also refer to the route or the path that a train follows.

⚫︎ 電車は線路上を走っています。 Translation: The train is running on the railroad track. ⚫︎ 新しい線路が建設中です。 Translation: A new railway line is under construction. ⚫︎ 事故のため、その線路は一時的に閉鎖されました。 Translation: Due to the accident, that railroad track was temporarily closed.

This word is used in a variety of contexts whenever you are referring to a railroad track or railway line. You can use it in discussions about train travel, railway infrastructure, transportation planning, or even in the context of accidents or repairs related to the railroad. You’ll find it used in news reports, travel information, and technical discussions about railways. You might hear it when discussing train schedules, track maintenance, or the location of stations. It is a common and essential vocabulary word for anyone learning about transportation in Japan.

The word 線路 is written with the kanji 線 (sen) meaning "line" or "track," and 路 (ro) meaning "road" or "path." The reading is せんろ (senro) in hiragana. There are no other common ways to write this word. The okurigana (the suffix hiragana) is not variable.

* 鉄道 (Tetsudou): railway, railroad (more general term, including the entire railway system) * レール (Reeru): rail (the individual metal bars)

There aren't specific single-word antonyms for 線路. The concept is quite specific. However, words or phrases referring to things that are not railway-related might be considered opposites in a sense: * 道路 (Douro): road * 飛行場 (Hikoujou): airport * 海路 (Kairo): sea route

この線路はとても古く、老朽化が進んでいます。 ・Translation: This railroad track is very old, and deterioration is progressing. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the condition of a railway line.

線路のそばに住んでいるので、電車の音が聞こえます。 ・Translation: Because I live near the railway line, I can hear the sound of the trains. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the location of a person's residence relative to a railroad track.

The word 線路 is a compound word formed from two kanji. 線 (sen) comes from the idea of a "line" or "track." 路 (ro) means "path" or "road". Combining these kanji, it literally translates to "line road," precisely capturing the meaning of a railroad track or pathway for a train.