S-Bahn
German
Etymology
Abbreviation of (now obsolete) Schnellbahn, from schnell (“fast”) + Bahn (“track, train”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈɛsˌbaːn/
Audio (file)
Noun
S-Bahn f (genitive S-Bahn, plural S-Bahnen)
- suburban metro railway (usually overground), a fast local train
- S-train
Usage notes
- The S-Bahn is not to be confused with the Straßenbahn, which is a city-center train with many stops (tramway). In densely populated areas one will have to take the S-Bahn to get to the next city, and then switch to the local Straßenbahn to arrive at one's final destination. (Note that some traffic regions do not use S-Bahnen, but have similar trains called, for example, Regionalbahn.)
Related terms
- U-Bahn
- Straßenbahn
Further reading
- S-Bahn in Duden online