Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
autobuses is the standard, formal term used across the Spanish-speaking world.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Depending on the region, different words are used for "bus": * In Mexico and parts of Central America, camión is an informal term for a bus and the plural camiones is frequently used colloquially to refer to buses. * In the Canary Islands, the Caribbean and parts of South America, guagua is an informal term for a bus. * In parts of the Southern Cone, such as Argentina, colectivos is a common term for city buses. * In several Latin American countries, the term micro is often used to refer to smaller buses or minibuses.
How does it change in a sentence?
The singular form is autobús, which carries an accent on the final syllable.
How do you pronounce it?
/autobuses/
Did you know?
- The word guagua is used for buses in the Caribbean and Canary Islands, but in Chile, it is the common word for 'baby'. Using it in the wrong country could lead to confusing conversations about infants on wheels.
- The term guagua used for buses in the Caribbean is thought to be an onomatopoeia from the sound of the old steam-powered engines. It mimics the 'wag-wag' or 'guagua' noise the vehicles made when approaching.
- In Argentina, the term colectivo comes from the early 20th century when these vehicles began as 'collective taxis' that shared a route. This distinguishes them from the standard autobús used in other regions.
Examples in context
- Todos los autobuses están llenos.All of the buses are full.This sentence shows how to use autobuses to describe the occupancy of vehicles.Tatoeba #679785 by humbertovs, translation #755291 by sctld
- ¿Cuál de esos autobuses va al centro?Which one of those buses goes downtown?This sentence uses autobuses to ask about a specific bus route.Tatoeba #10463192 by Seael, translation #10463184 by CK
- Ninguno de estos autobuses va a Shinjuku.None of these buses go to Shinjuku.This sentence uses autobuses to indicate that certain vehicles do not go to a specific destination.Tatoeba #490935 by Shishir, translation #55280 by CN
- El autobús llegará a la parada en diez minutos.The bus will arrive at the stop in ten minutes.
- Tomaré un omnibús para llegar a la conferencia.I will take a bus to get to the conference.
- Podemos tomar el camión para llegar al centro.We can take the bus to get to downtown.
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro are waiting at a station in the city.
- Alejandro¿Sabes si los autobuses pasan por aquí?Do you know if the buses pass through here?
- LucíaSí, Alejandro, pasan cada diez minutos.Yes, Alejandro, they pass every ten minutes.
- AlejandroMenos mal, porque hay muchos autobuses hoy.Thank goodness, because there are many buses today.
- LucíaEs verdad, la estación está muy llena.It's true, the station is very full.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
