underpass
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underpass
A tunnel or passage that leads underneath a road, railway line, or another traffic route. It usually serves pedestrians, cyclists, or sometimes also car traffic.
Wir nahmen die Unterführung, um sicher auf die andere Straßenseite zu gelangen.
We took the underpass to get safely to the other side of the street.
The word is made up of 'unter' (under) and 'Führung' (guidance/leading). So it literally describes a route that leads underneath something, usually under a road or railway line.
Die Unterführung unter dem Bahnhof war schlecht beleuchtet.
The underpass beneath the station was poorly lit.
Be careful when translating 'subway'. In American English, 'subway' means the underground/metro. An 'Unterführung' (underpass) for pedestrians is called 'underpass' in English, or in British English also 'subway'.
Die schnellste Verbindung ist die U-Bahn, nicht die Unterführung für Fußgänger.
The fastest connection is the subway, not the pedestrian underpass.
To describe movement through the tunnel, German uses the preposition 'durch' with the accusative. To describe the place where someone is located, German uses 'in' with the dative.
Der Radfahrer fuhr schnell durch die Unterführung.
The cyclist rode quickly through the underpass.
tunnel
A tunnel generally runs underground or through an obstacle. An Unterführung is more specifically a passage under a road, railway line, or another traffic route. Both can apply when something passes under a traffic route, but Unterführung describes the type of crossing more precisely.
Die Unterführung führt die Straße unter den Bahngleisen hindurch.
The underpass takes the road underneath the railway tracks.
Der Tunnel führt die Straße durch den Berg.
The tunnel takes the road through the mountain.
