How to Say "Tunnel" in Spanish

túnel

/ˈtunel/masculine

The English word 'tunnel' is translated into Spanish as túnel.

A túnel refers to an underground or underwater passage.

Meaning: an underground or underwater passage (noun)

Which one should you use?

While túnel is the standard term, you may encounter more formal variations depending on the specific context of the passage.

The plural form of túnel is túneles.

/ˈtunel/

Although it looks like a native Spanish word, túnel is actually a loanword borrowed from the English word 'tunnel'.
In the context of mining, a Spanish speaker might call a tunnel a galería, which also means 'gallery' in the sense of an art space.
The term socavón can describe a tunnel, but in a city, it often refers to the terrifying moment a road collapses into a void.

Tom atravesó el túnel.
Tom went through the tunnel.
This sentence is useful for seeing how to use túnel with the verb for 'went through'.
Tatoeba #1435941 by marcelostockle, translation #1140886 by CK
Hay otro túnel por allá.
There is another tunnel up there.
This sentence shows how to use túnel when stating that one exists in a certain location.
Tatoeba #3842855 by leoruilova, translation #3842402 by Amastan
El tren atravesó un túnel.
The train traversed a tunnel.
This sentence demonstrates how to use túnel in the context of a train traversing it.
Tatoeba #754060 by Shishir, translation #20258 by Objectivesea
El tráfico estaba bloqueado debido a la construcción de un túnel.
The traffic was blocked due to the construction of a tunnel.
18 more sentences on Tatoeba

Lucía and Mateo are hiking in the mountains.

Sources

Wiktionary, “tunnel” translations and entries túnel, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
Word origins: Wiktionary entries túnel, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.

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