Confirming the right bus | Learn Spanish in English

Spanish lesson set in a contemporary Madrid everyday setting: At a bus stop, two passengers ask the driver whether the bus goes to the station before boarding..

EN → ES / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Confirming the right bus to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

El autobús está aquí.

el ow-toh-BOOS es-TAH ah-KEE The bus is here.
B

¿Crees que este es el autobús correcto?

KREHS keh ES-teh es el ow-toh-BOOS koh-REK-toh Do you think this is the right bus?
A

Preguntemos al conductor antes de subir.

preh-goon-TEH-mohs al kohn-dook-TOR AN-tehs deh soo-BEER Let's ask the driver before we get on.
A

Disculpe, ¿este autobús va a la estación?

dees-KOOL-peh, ES-teh ow-toh-BOOS bah ah lah es-tah-SYON Excuse me, does this bus go to the station?
C

La estación es la última parada.

lah es-tah-SYON es lah OOL-tee-mah pah-RAH-dah The station is the last stop.
B

Entonces, este es el autobús correcto.

en-TOHN-sehs, ES-teh es el ow-toh-BOOS koh-REK-toh Then this is the right bus.
A

Subamos y vayamos más adentro.

soo-BAH-mohs ee bah-YAH-mohs mahs ah-DEN-troh Let's get on and move farther inside.
B

Me pondré de pie cerca del centro.

meh pohn-DRAY deh PYEH SEHR-kah del SEN-troh I'll stand near the middle.

Word by Word

El “El” means “the” in “El autobús” and introduces the bus being discussed. It is used before a singular masculine noun. A reusable pattern is “El + noun” when referring to a specific thing.
autobús “Autobús” means “bus” here, the vehicle that has arrived and may go to the station. It appears after “El” in “El autobús” and after “este es el” in “este es el autobús correcto”. You can reuse it when asking about or identifying a bus.
está “Está” says that the bus is located here in “El autobús está aquí”. It is used with a place expression such as “aquí”. A reusable pattern is “[thing] está + place”.
aquí “Aquí” means “here” and identifies the place where the bus is in “El autobús está aquí”. It commonly follows a form of “estar” to say where someone or something is. You can use “está aquí” to point out that something is present in this place.
Crees “Crees” asks whether the other person thinks or believes something in “¿Crees que este es el autobús correcto?”. It introduces the clause beginning with “que”. A reusable pattern is “¿Crees que + statement?” when asking for someone’s opinion.
que “Que” connects “¿Crees” with the idea being considered in “¿Crees que este es el autobús correcto?”. Here it introduces the statement about which bus this is. A reusable pattern is “creer que + statement”.
este “Este” means “this one” or “this” and points to the bus being considered in “este es el autobús correcto”. It identifies the bus that is present rather than another bus. You can reuse “este es + noun or description” to identify something nearby.
es “Es” identifies or describes the bus in “este es el autobús correcto”. Together with “este”, it says what the bus is, and with “correcto” it identifies it as the right one. A reusable pattern is “este es + noun or description”.
correcto “Correcto” means “right” or “correct” in “el autobús correcto”. It describes the bus as the one they should take. It follows the noun in this phrase, so “el autobús correcto” means “the correct bus”.
Preguntemos “Preguntemos” proposes that the speakers ask together in “Preguntemos al conductor”. It is used to suggest a shared action, here asking the driver before boarding. A reusable pattern is “Preguntemos a + person” when proposing that the group ask someone.
al “Al” means “to the” before the person being asked in “Preguntemos al conductor”. It is the combined form used before “conductor” in this expression. You can reuse “preguntar al + person” when saying whom you ask.
conductor “Conductor” means “driver” here, the person whom the passengers ask about the bus route. It appears after “al” in “al conductor”. A reusable pattern is “preguntar al conductor” when asking the driver for transport information.
antes “Antes” means “before” in “antes de subir”. It places the question before the action of getting on the bus. A reusable pattern is “antes de + infinitive” for an action that happens earlier.
de In “antes de subir”, “de” is part of the expression meaning “before getting on”. It is followed here by the infinitive “subir”. The same word also appears in “de pie”, where the whole expression means “standing”.
subir “Subir” means “to get on” or “to board” in “antes de subir”. It follows “antes de” as the action that has not happened yet at that point. A reusable pattern is “antes de subir” when referring to boarding before another action.
Disculpe “Disculpe” means “excuse me” and politely gets the driver’s attention in “Disculpe, ¿este autobús va a la estación?”. It is useful when beginning a question to someone you are addressing politely. You can reuse “Disculpe” before asking for information.
va “Va” means “goes” in the question “¿este autobús va a la estación?”. It describes the bus’s route toward the station. A reusable pattern is “[vehicle] va a + destination” when asking or saying where it goes.
a “A” marks the destination in “va a la estación”. It connects the movement of the bus with the place it goes to. A reusable pattern is “ir or va a + destination”.
la “La” means “the” before “estación” in “la estación”. At the beginning of the sentence it appears as “La” in “La estación es la última parada”; this is the same article with sentence capitalization. A reusable pattern is “la + noun” when referring to a specific feminine noun.
estación “Estación” means “station” in “la estación”. It is the destination of the bus and the last stop in this dialogue. You can reuse it after a movement expression such as “va a la estación”.
Entonces “Entonces” means “then” and introduces the conclusion in “Entonces, este es el autobús correcto”. Because the driver has confirmed the route, the speakers conclude that this is the right bus. You can use “Entonces” before a conclusion based on what was just said.
Subamos “Subamos” proposes that the speakers get on the bus together in “Subamos y vayamos más adentro”. It is used here after confirming that this is the correct bus. A reusable pattern is “Subamos y + action” when proposing two shared actions.
y “Y” means “and” and joins the two proposed actions in “Subamos y vayamos más adentro”. Both actions belong to the same suggestion. You can reuse “y” to connect two related actions or ideas.
vayamos “Vayamos” proposes that the speakers move together in “vayamos más adentro”. Here it refers to moving farther inside the bus after boarding. A reusable pattern is “vayamos + place expression” when suggesting that a group go somewhere.
más “Más” means “farther” in “más adentro”, adding the idea of moving further toward the inside. It modifies the place expression “adentro” here. You can reuse “más + place or quantity expression” to indicate an increased degree.
adentro “Adentro” means “inside” in “vayamos más adentro”. It indicates the direction or area where the passengers should move after boarding. A reusable pattern is “ir or moverse adentro” when moving into an interior space.
Me In “Me pondré de pie”, “Me” shows that the speaker is putting themself into the standing position. It belongs to the whole expression “Me pondré de pie”, rather than meaning “me” independently here. A reusable pattern is “Me + action” when the speaker is directly involved in the action.
pondré “Pondré” expresses the speaker’s plan to stand in “Me pondré de pie”. Together with “Me” and “de pie”, it describes taking a standing position. You can reuse “Me pondré de pie” when saying that you will stand up.
pie “Pie” means “foot” by itself, but in “de pie” the complete expression means “standing”. In “Me pondré de pie”, it contributes to the idea of putting oneself into a standing position. A reusable pattern is “estar de pie” for being standing.
cerca “Cerca” means “near” in “cerca del centro”. It describes the intended location as close to the middle rather than far from it. A reusable pattern is “cerca de + place or noun” when saying that something is nearby.
del “Del” means “of the” in “cerca del centro”, giving the reference point for “near”. It is the combined form used before “centro” in this phrase. A reusable pattern is “cerca del + noun” when referring to being near a specific place or thing.
centro “Centro” means “middle” or “center” here, referring to the middle area of the bus in “cerca del centro”. It follows “del” in the location phrase “cerca del centro”. You can reuse this phrase when choosing a position near the middle of a place.

Grammar Points

antes de + infinitivo

antes de subir

AN-tehs deh soo-BEER

before getting on

Use antes de followed by an infinitive to express an action that happens earlier.

último/última + sustantivo

última parada

OOL-tee-mah pah-RAH-dah

last stop

Adjectives agree with nouns in gender: último with masculine nouns and última with feminine nouns.

Spanish Vocabulary

antes de prep
AN-tehs deh before

antes de subir

aquí adv
ah-KEE here

El autobús está aquí.

autobús noun
ow-toh-BOOS bus

El autobús está aquí.

conductor noun
kohn-dook-TOR driver

Preguntemos al conductor antes de subir.

correcto adj
koh-REK-toh right; correct

el autobús correcto

creer verb
KREH-ER to think; to believe crees

¿Crees que este es el autobús correcto?

disculpar verb
dees-kool-PAR to excuse; to forgive disculpe

Disculpe, ¿este autobús va a la estación?

estar verb
es-TAR to be está

El autobús está aquí.

este pron
ES-teh this

¿Crees que este es el autobús correcto?

ir verb
EER to go va

¿Este autobús va a la estación?

preguntar verb
preh-goon-TAR to ask preguntemos

Preguntemos al conductor antes de subir.

subir verb
soo-BEER to get on; to go up

antes de subir

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

The bus is here.

Show AnswerEl autobús está aquí.

Let's ask the driver before we get on.

Show AnswerPreguntemos al conductor antes de subir.

The station is the last stop.

Show AnswerLa estación es la última parada.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

driver

Show Answerconductor

to be

Show Answerestá

this

Show Answereste

right; correct

Show Answercorrecto