Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| estación de autobús | /estaθjon de autobus/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /estasjon de autobus/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
feminine |
| rodoviario | /rodoˈbjaɾjo/ | masculine |
A bus station refers to a major bus stop that serves as a transfer point between a large number of routes.
Which one should you use?
While estación de autobús is the standard, most widely understood term for a bus station across the Spanish-speaking world, you should distinguish it from parada de autobús, which refers to a simple bus stop on a street. Use estación de autobús specifically for large stations or terminals.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico and parts of Latin America, terminal de autobuses is a very common way to refer to a bus station. In Mexico, Central de Autobuses is used as a formal equivalent to bus terminal and Paradero de Autobuses is used to mean a bus stop or a small bus station.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form estación de autobús is feminine. The form rodoviario is masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
/estaθjon de autobus/
Did you know?
- While estación is the standard word for a station, it is also the word for 'season' when talking about the time of year.
- The word autobús is a linguistic hybrid. It combines the Greek prefix auto-, meaning 'self', with the French word omnibus, which originally meant a vehicle for 'everyone'.
- In many Latin American bus stations, you will encounter a taquilla, a specific small window or booth used solely for buying tickets.
Examples in context
- ¿Dónde está la estación de autobuses?Where is the bus station?
- Disculpe, ¿dónde se encuentra la estación de autobuses?Excuse me, where can I find the bus station?
- Perdón, ¿puede indicarme cómo llegar a la terminal de autobuses?Excuse me, can you tell me how to get to the bus terminal?
- La estación de autobús es muy grande.The bus station is very large.
- Nos vemos en la estación de autobús.We will see each other at the bus station.
- Busco la estación de autobús central.I am looking for the central bus station.
Example conversation
Mateo and María are meeting to travel to another city.
- Mateo¿A qué hora llegas a la estación de autobús?What time are you arriving at the bus station?
- MaríaLlego a las diez en punto.I arrive at ten o'clock sharp.
- MateoPerfecto, te esperaré en la entrada.Perfect, I will wait for you at the entrance.
- MaríaGracias, Mateo. Nos vemos allí.Thanks, Mateo. See you there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bus station” translations and entries estación de autobús, rodoviario, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries autobús, de, estación, CC BY-SA 4.0.
