Asking about a delayed bus | Learn Spanish in English

Sentence explanations

1. Disculpe, ¿el autobús está retrasado?

   Excuse me, is the bus delayed?

   Disculpe

   Excuse me

   autobús

   bus

   está

   is

   retrasado

   delayed

   More detail

   Disculpe is the polite “excuse me” used to address one person as usted. It is also the affirmative usted command of disculpar; the related tú form is disculpa, and the ustedes form is disculpen. Here it functions as a courteous attention-getter before the question. autobús means “bus.” It is a masculine singular noun, as shown by el and by the masculine singular form retrasado. Its plural is autobuses. está is the third-person singular present form of estar, “to be.” It agrees with the singular subject el autobús. Spanish uses estar here to describe the bus’s current condition. Compare está with están, used with a plural subject. retrasado means “delayed.” It is the masculine singular form of the adjective retrasado, agreeing with el autobús. The feminine singular form is retrasada, and the plural forms are retrasados and retrasadas. Example: La llegada está retrasada means “The arrival is delayed.” Together, ¿el autobús está retrasado? asks whether the bus is currently delayed. With the opening Disculpe, the complete utterance is a polite way to ask, “Excuse me, is the bus delayed?”

2. Hay mucho tráfico cerca.

   There's heavy traffic nearby.

   Hay

   there is / there are

   mucho

   a lot of / much

   tráfico

   traffic

   cerca

   nearby

   More detail

   Hay is the present-tense existential form of haber: it introduces that something exists or is present. It is invariant here, so it does not change for singular or plural: Hay un problema means “There is a problem,” while Hay varios problemas means “There are several problems.” mucho means “much” or “a lot of” here and modifies tráfico. Because it is an adjective in this use, it agrees with that noun: mucho tráfico is masculine singular. Compare mucha gente and muchos coches; the form changes with the noun’s gender and number. tráfico is the noun “traffic.” Its accent mark is part of the spelling. In this sentence it is an uncountable mass noun, so mucho tráfico describes a large amount of traffic rather than a counted number of individual vehicles. cerca is an adverb meaning “nearby” or “close.” It can also appear in the reusable pattern cerca de + noun, as in La estación está cerca de aquí — “The station is near here.” Together, Hay mucho tráfico says that a large amount of traffic is present, and cerca places that traffic nearby. The complete utterance therefore means “There’s heavy traffic nearby.”

3. ¿Sabe cuándo llegará?

   Do you know when it will arrive?

   Sabe

   know

   cuándo

   when

   llegará

   will arrive

   More detail

   Sabe means “know” here. In this direct question, it is the present-tense form used with usted singular: ¿Sabe...? means “Do you know...?” The corresponding informal singular form is sabes: ¿Sabes cuándo llegará el tren? — “Do you know when the train will arrive?” Cuándo means “when” and has an accent because it introduces a question, including an indirect question inside a larger sentence. Compare direct ¿Cuándo llegará? — “When will it arrive?” with the embedded question in ¿Sabe cuándo llegará?. Llegará is the future form of llegar, “to arrive.” Its -á ending marks third-person singular future: llegar → llegará. The arriving subject is understood from the situation but is not named in this utterance. Example: El paquete llegará mañana. — “The package will arrive tomorrow.” Together, ¿Sabe asks whether the addressed person knows, and cuándo llegará asks for the time of an arrival. The whole utterance means “Do you know when it will arrive?”

4. Todavía está en camino.

   It's still on the way.

   Todavía

   still

   está

   is

   en camino

   on the way

   More detail

   Todavía means “still” here: it shows that the situation continues at the present time. It can also mean “yet” in some negative or question contexts, but that is not its meaning in this sentence. Está is the third-person singular present-tense form of estar, matching the understood singular subject translated here as “it.” The present forms are estoy, estás, está, estamos, estáis, and están; the exact form está identifies third-person singular, not just singularity by itself. Estar is used for a current state or location; ser is not the appropriate choice for this current status. Example: El paquete está aquí. — “The package is here.” En camino is a reusable expression meaning “on the way” or “in transit.” Camino is a noun meaning “way,” “path,” or “road,” and en introduces the location or state expressed as being on that way. Example: Ya voy en camino. — “I’m already on my way.” Together, Todavía está en camino means “It’s still on the way.” Todavía adds the continuing time reference, while está en camino states the current status. The sentence therefore says that the expected thing remains in transit and has not arrived yet, without specifying what that thing is.

5. Así que la espera puede ser más larga.

   So the wait may be longer.

   Así que

   so

   espera

   wait

   puede

   may; can

   ser

   be

   más larga

   longer

   More detail

   Así que links the sentence to what came before and means “so” or “therefore.” It introduces the consequence here: the wait may be longer. espera is the noun “wait.” Its base form is espera; the related verb is esperar, “to wait,” but they are different words and should not be treated as the same form. La espera puede ser larga. — “The wait can be long.” puede is the third-person singular present form of poder, “to be able to” or “can.” With an infinitive, poder + infinitive expresses ability or possibility. Here, puede ser expresses possibility, so “may be,” not a definite prediction. Puede llegar tarde. — “He, she, or it may arrive late.” ser is the infinitive “to be.” After puede, Spanish uses the infinitive: puede ser, “may be/can be.” más larga means “longer.” larga is the feminine singular form of the adjective largo, “long,” agreeing with the feminine singular noun espera. The comparative pattern is más + adjective: más largo for a masculine singular noun, más larga for a feminine singular noun, and plural forms when the noun is plural. The comparison is relative to an understood earlier or expected duration; the sentence does not state the comparison point explicitly. La ruta es más larga. — “The route is longer.” Together, Así que + la espera + puede ser + más larga gives: “So the wait may be longer.” The sentence presents a possible longer duration as a consequence of the preceding situation, without asserting that it will definitely happen.

6. ¿Hay otro autobús para la misma ruta?

   Is there another bus for the same route?

   Hay

   there is / there are

   otro

   another

   autobús

   bus

   misma

   same

   ruta

   route

   More detail

   Hay is the present form used to say that something exists or is available: “there is” or “there are.” It does not change between singular and plural: hay un autobús = “there is a bus,” and hay dos autobuses = “there are two buses.” In this question, hay introduces the bus being asked about. Otro means “another” or “an additional different one.” It is masculine singular here because it describes autobús, which is masculine singular: otro autobús. The related feminine form is otra: otra ruta means “another route.” Unlike English “another,” Spanish marks this agreement in the adjective-like word. Autobús means “bus.” Its plural is autobuses; the accent mark in singular autobús is not retained in this plural form. Example: Hay dos autobuses. — “There are two buses.” Misma means “same.” It agrees with ruta in feminine singular; the masculine singular form is mismo, as in el mismo autobús. La misma ruta identifies a route identical to the one already understood, rather than merely a similar route. Ruta means “route.” It is a feminine noun, shown here by la and by the form misma: la misma ruta. Example: El autobús sigue la misma ruta. — “The bus follows the same route.” The question pattern is ¿Hay + [thing] + para + [destination, purpose, or route]? Here, otro autobús means “another bus,” and para la misma ruta specifies that the bus would serve the same route. Together, ¿Hay otro autobús para la misma ruta? means “Is there another bus for the same route?” The question asks whether such an additional bus exists; it does not itself assert how long the wait is or which bus is faster.

7. Sí, hay otro, pero esa opción tarda más.

   There is, but that option takes longer.

   Sí

   yes

   hay

   there is / there are

   otro

   another one

   pero

   but

   esa

   that

   opción

   option

   tarda

   takes time

   más

   more

   More detail

   Sí confirms the preceding question: “Yes.” It is a standalone affirmative word. hay is the present form used for existence: “there is” or “there are.” It comes from haber and does not change between singular and plural: hay un autobús and hay dos autobuses. Here it introduces the available alternative. otro means “another” here. It is masculine singular and is used on its own, with the understood noun supported by the preceding question: another bus. As an adjective, it agrees with the noun: otro autobús, otra opción, otros autobuses, otras opciones. pero introduces a contrast: “but.” It does not cancel the existence of the alternative; it adds a disadvantage about it. esa is the feminine singular demonstrative “that.” It agrees with opción, not with the person choosing it. The forms include ese for masculine singular, esa for feminine singular, and esas for feminine plural. opción means “option” or “choice.” It is a feminine noun, so the phrase is esa opción. In this sentence, it identifies the alternative just mentioned rather than introducing a new kind of participant. tarda comes from tardar, “to take time.” It is the present-tense third-person singular form, agreeing with esa opción: literally, “that option takes time.” A useful pattern is tardar + time expression, as in El viaje tarda una hora — “The trip takes an hour.” más means “more.” With tardar, tardar más means “to take longer” than a relevant comparison point. The comparison is expressed by más, while tarda carries the verb inflection. Together, Sí, hay otro means “Yes, there is another [bus].” pero esa opción tarda más contrasts that alternative with the previously mentioned route or bus: “but that option takes longer.” The complete meaning is: “There is, but that option takes longer.”

8. Me quedaré aquí para esperar este autobús.

   I'll stay here for this bus.

   Me quedaré

   I will stay

   aquí

   here

   esperar

   to wait

   este

   this

   autobús

   bus

   More detail

   Me quedaré means “I will stay.” It is the first-person singular future of quedarse (“to stay”): me quedaré, te quedarás, se quedará. The pronoun me belongs to the verb and identifies the speaker as the person who will stay. Here quedarse describes remaining in a place, rather than simply becoming or acquiring something. aquí means “here” and locates the speaker at the place relevant to the conversation. It is an adverb, so it does not change for number or gender. Example: Quédate aquí. — “Stay here.” esperar means “to wait” in this sentence. It is an infinitive, the form used after para to express purpose: para esperar = “in order to wait.” Esperar can also mean “to hope” in other contexts, but the bus makes the “wait” meaning clear here. Example: Voy a esperar el autobús. — “I am going to wait for the bus.” este means “this.” It is a masculine singular demonstrative adjective, agreeing with the masculine singular noun autobús. Its form changes with the noun: esta for feminine singular, estos for masculine plural, and estas for feminine plural. The demonstrative marks the bus as the one identified as “this” in the situation; it does not itself state a numerical quantity. autobús means “bus.” It is a masculine singular noun, and its plural is autobuses. The accent appears in the singular spelling autobús but not in the plural. Example: El autobús llega pronto. — “The bus arrives soon.” Together, Me quedaré aquí says “I will stay here,” and para esperar este autobús gives the purpose: “to wait for this bus.” The complete utterance is therefore: “I’ll stay here to wait for this bus.”

9. Probablemente sea lo mejor si puede esperar.

   That's probably best if you can wait.

   Probablemente

   probably

   sea

   be

   lo mejor

   the best option

   si

   if

   puede

   can

   esperar

   wait

   More detail

   Probablemente means “probably” here. It expresses uncertainty about the evaluation that follows. Spanish can also use probablemente with an indicative form; the observed sea presents this statement with a subjunctive form, fitting the speaker’s uncertainty. sea is the present subjunctive, third-person singular form of ser (“to be”). Its base form is ser; compare present indicative es (“is”) with present subjunctive sea (“be/is likely to be” in a dependent or uncertain statement). In this sentence, sea is not an imperative: it is part of the clause evaluated by probablemente. lo mejor means “the best option” here. lo is a neuter article that lets the adjective mejor refer to an unspecified best course or option rather than to a named masculine or feminine noun. mejor is the comparative/superlative form related to bueno (“good”): bueno → mejor (“better” or “best,” depending on context). Here the definite expression lo mejor means “the best thing/course of action.” si introduces a condition: “if.” It does not mean the affirmative reply word “yes,” which is written sí with an accent. puede means “can” in this sentence. It is a present-tense form of poder; the full useful chain is poder → puede. With the supplied translation, it refers to the listener: “you can.” The form puede is third-person singular and is also the form used with singular formal usted; the sentence itself does not add a separate politeness label beyond that form. esperar is the infinitive “to wait.” After poder, Spanish uses the infinitive: puede esperar = “can wait.” The same verb can also mean “to hope” in other contexts, but the fixed translation establishes “wait” here. Example: Necesito esperar. — “I need to wait.” Together, Probablemente sea lo mejor says “That is probably the best option.” The conditional clause si puede esperar adds the condition “if you can wait.” The complete utterance therefore means: “That’s probably best if you can wait.”