Confirming the right bus | Learn Spanish in English

Sentence explanations

1. El autobús está aquí.

   The bus is here.

   autobús

   bus

   está

   is located / is

   aquí

   here

   More detail

   autobús means “bus” here. It is a masculine noun, so the article is el: el autobús. The plural is los autobuses; the accent in singular autobús is not retained in the plural. Example: El autobús llega. — “The bus arrives.” está is the third-person singular present form of estar, used here for the bus’s location or presence. The useful present-tense contrast is estoy (“I am”), estás (“you are”), and está (“he/she/it is” or “you are” in the formal singular, depending on the referent). With a location, Spanish uses estar, not ser: El libro está aquí. — “The book is here.” aquí means “here,” referring to the place of the speaker or the relevant conversational location. It carries an accent mark. A useful contrast is aquí (“here”) versus allí (“there”). Example: Estoy aquí. — “I am here.” Together, El autobús identifies the bus, está states its current location or presence, and aquí specifies that location. The complete meaning is “The bus is here.”

2. ¿Crees que este es el autobús correcto?

   Do you think this is the right bus?

   Crees

   do you think

   este

   this

   autobús

   bus

   correcto

   right; correct

   More detail

   Crees is the present-tense form of creer for tú: “you think/believe.” In a question, ¿Crees que…? is a reusable pattern meaning “Do you think that…?” The verb is in the second-person singular; it is not the formal usted form. Example: ¿Crees que es tarde? — “Do you think it is late?” este means “this” here. It is a masculine singular demonstrative, matching the masculine singular noun autobús. Its forms include este (masculine singular), esta (feminine singular), estos (masculine plural), and estas (feminine plural). Example: Esta es la puerta. — “This is the door.” autobús means “bus” here. It is a masculine singular noun; its plural is autobuses. The accent mark in autobús belongs to the observed singular form. Example: El autobús llega pronto. — “The bus arrives soon.” correcto means “right” or “correct” here, in the sense of being the appropriate bus. It is the masculine singular form of the adjective correcto, agreeing with autobús. The feminine singular form is correcta, and the plural forms are correctos and correctas. Example: La respuesta correcta está aquí. — “The correct answer is here.” Together, ¿Crees que introduces the speaker’s question about someone’s belief. este identifies the bus as “this one,” while el autobús correcto means “the right bus.” Thus the whole utterance means: “Do you think this is the right bus?”

3. Preguntemos al conductor antes de subir.

   Let's ask the driver before we get on.

   Preguntemos

   let’s ask

   conductor

   driver

   antes de

   before

   subir

   get on

   More detail

   Preguntemos is the first-person plural present subjunctive of preguntar, “to ask.” Here it works as an affirmative suggestion: “let’s ask,” including the speaker and at least one other person. Compare pregunto (“I ask”) and preguntamos (“we ask” or “we are asking”); the subjunctive form preguntemos gives the suggestion. conductor is a masculine singular noun meaning “driver” here. Its feminine counterpart is conductora when referring to a female driver. The article al is the contraction of a + el; together, preguntar al conductor means “ask the driver.” antes de means “before” and is followed here by an infinitive. This pattern places one action earlier than another: antes de + infinitive. Example: Lávate las manos antes de comer. — “Wash your hands before eating.” subir is the infinitive “to go up” or “to get on/board.” In this sentence, the intended meaning is “to get on,” referring to boarding the bus. After antes de, the infinitive has no separate expressed subject; the translation identifies the understood subject as “we.” Together, Preguntemos al conductor means “Let’s ask the driver,” and antes de subir adds “before we get on.” The complete utterance is therefore: “Let’s ask the driver before we get on.”

4. Disculpe, ¿este autobús va a la estación?

   Excuse me, does this bus go to the station?

   Disculpe

   excuse me

   este

   this

   autobús

   bus

   va

   goes

   estación

   station

   More detail

   Disculpe is a polite way to get someone's attention or say “excuse me.” It is the affirmative command form of disculpar for usted (singular), so it addresses one person formally. The informal singular form is disculpa; do not treat disculpe as a plural command. este means “this” and is a masculine singular demonstrative adjective. It agrees with the masculine singular noun autobús, identifying one bus as relatively near or salient to the speaker. The forms change with the noun: esta is feminine singular, while estos and estas are plural. autobús means “bus.” It is a masculine noun, as shown here by este. Its plural is autobuses, without an accent mark. Example: El autobús llega pronto. — “The bus arrives soon.” va is the third-person singular present form of ir, “to go.” The form chain is ir → va for “he/she/it goes” or “you go” in the formal usted form. Here, because este autobús is singular, va agrees with that subject. With a plural subject, use van: Estos autobuses van a la estación. — “These buses go to the station.” a la estación expresses movement toward or destination: a + la + estación. Estación means “station” and is feminine singular, so the definite article is la. In this utterance, the destination is the station identified in the fixed translation. Example: Voy a la estación. — “I am going to the station.” Together, ¿este autobús va a la estación? asks whether this particular bus goes to the station. The opening Disculpe politely addresses one person formally, producing the full meaning: “Excuse me, does this bus go to the station?”

5. La estación es la última parada.

   The station is the last stop.

   estación

   station

   es

   is

   última

   last

   parada

   stop

   More detail

   estación means “station” here. It is a feminine singular noun, so the sentence uses la estación. A useful related place word is parada, “stop,” but these are different nouns: a station can be described as a stop in this sentence. Example: La estación está cerca. — “The station is nearby.” es is the third-person singular present form of ser, “to be.” The useful present-tense pattern is soy, eres, es, somos, sois, son; es agrees with a singular third-person subject such as la estación. Here ser connects the station with its identification as the last stop. Example: La estación es grande. — “The station is large.” última means “last” in this sentence. It is the feminine singular form of último, because it describes the feminine singular noun parada. The related contrast is primera, “first”: la primera parada means “the first stop,” while la última parada means “the last stop.” parada means “stop” here, specifically a stop on a route. It is a feminine singular noun, which is why it appears with la and why the adjective is última. Example: Esta es la próxima parada. — “This is the next stop.” Together, La estación is the subject, es links it to an identifying description, and la última parada means “the last stop.” The complete utterance therefore means “The station is the last stop.”

6. Entonces, este es el autobús correcto.

   Then this is the right bus.

   Entonces

   Then

   este

   this

   es

   is

   autobús

   bus

   correcto

   right

   More detail

   Entonces means “then” here and connects this statement with what has just been established. It can also introduce a conclusion: Entonces, vamos. = “Then, let’s go.” este is the masculine singular demonstrative “this.” In this sentence it points to the bus being identified; its masculine singular form agrees with autobús. The corresponding feminine singular form is esta, as in esta estación (“this station”). es is the third-person singular present form of ser (“to be”): ser → es. Spanish uses ser here to identify or classify something: Este es el autobús. = “This is the bus.” It is not the form of estar, which is used for states or locations in other patterns. autobús is the noun “bus.” It is masculine, as shown by el autobús and by the adjective form correcto in this sentence. The accent on the final ú is part of the spelling. A useful plural is autobuses (“buses”), without an accent mark. correcto is the masculine singular form of the adjective correcto (“right” or “correct”). It agrees with masculine singular autobús; with a feminine singular noun, the form is correcta, as in la respuesta correcta (“the correct answer”). Together, este + es identifies the item, while el autobús correcto names and describes it: “this is the right bus.” Entonces links that identification to the preceding situation, so the complete utterance is: “Then this is the right bus.”

7. Subamos y vayamos más adentro.

   Let's get on and move farther inside.

   Subamos

   Let’s get on

   vayamos

   let’s go

   más adentro

   farther inside

   More detail

   Subamos comes from subir and is the first-person plural form used to propose an action for “us”: “Let’s get on.” In this context, the bus reference in the preceding sentence supports the sense “get on,” rather than a general “go up.” The same form can also mean “let’s go up” when the context involves upward movement. Example: Subamos al autobús. — “Let’s get on the bus.” Vayamos comes from ir (“to go”). It is the first-person plural exhortation meaning “let’s go,” inviting the speaker and others to move together. The irregular form should be learned with the base verb: ir → vayamos for this “let’s” use. Example: Vayamos juntos. — “Let’s go together.” Más adentro means “farther inside.” Más marks a greater degree, while adentro indicates an interior location or direction. This is a location phrase, not a noun phrase naming a particular place. Example: Camina más adentro. — “Walk farther inside.” Together, Subamos y vayamos más adentro joins two first-person plural proposals with y: “Let’s get on and move farther inside.” The next sentence about standing near the middle is compatible with this movement, but the utterance itself does not state that later action.

8. Me pondré de pie cerca del centro.

   I'll stand near the middle.

   Me pondré de pie

   I will stand

   cerca del

   near the

   centro

   middle

   More detail

   Me pondré de pie means “I will stand.” The verb is ponerse de pie, literally “to put oneself into a standing position”; here it describes the speaker’s future change of position. Me is the reflexive pronoun referring to the speaker. Pondré is the first-person singular future form of poner, with the irregular future stem pondr-; the complete future form is me pondré, “I will put myself / I will get.” The expression de pie specifies the resulting position: standing. Example: Me pondré de pie ahora. — “I will stand up now.” cerca del means “near the.” Cerca de is the location pattern “near”; del is the contraction of de + el. The following noun determines the specific place being used as the reference point. Example: El coche está cerca del edificio. — “The car is near the building.” centro means “middle” or “center.” It is a masculine singular noun, as shown by el in the contraction del: del centro, “near the center/middle.” Together, me pondré de pie + cerca del centro gives “I’ll stand near the middle.” The future form presents the standing as a later action, and cerca del centro gives its intended location.