Breakdown of Espero el autobús en la siguiente parada.
yo
I
en
at
esperar
to wait for
el autobús
the bus
siguiente
next
la parada
the stop
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Questions & Answers about Espero el autobús en la siguiente parada.
Why is it Espero and not Estoy esperando?
Both are correct. Spanish often uses the simple present for actions in progress, so Espero el autobús can mean “I’m waiting for the bus.” Estoy esperando el autobús highlights the action as ongoing or temporary; it sounds a bit more descriptive.
Why doesn’t esperar take a preposition like English “wait for”? Why not para/por?
In Spanish, esperar is a transitive verb: you say esperar algo (a thing) and esperar a alguien (a person). So you say Espero el autobús (not para el autobús or por el autobús). In Spain, esperar por to mean “wait for” is generally avoided.
Should it be al autobús?
No. You use a before direct objects that are people (the “personal a”): Espero a Juan. With things, you do not use a: Espero el autobús (not al autobús).
How do I say “wait until the bus arrives”?
Use esperar a que + subjunctive (or hasta que + subjunctive):
- Estoy esperando a que llegue el autobús.
- Espero hasta que llegue el autobús.
Why el autobús and not just autobús without an article?
Spanish normally requires an article with countable nouns. Use el for a specific bus. If it’s any bus, use un: Espero un autobús. For a line number: Espero el 27 or Espero el autobús 27.
How do I say “I’m waiting for the number 27 bus at the next stop”?
Espero el 27 en la siguiente parada. You can also say el autobús 27.
What’s the difference between siguiente and próxima in this context?
Both can mean “next.” Siguiente focuses on the next in sequence; próxima suggests the upcoming/nearest. In practice, both are fine here: la siguiente parada / la próxima parada. Announcements in Spain often say Próxima parada: ….
Does siguiente agree with parada?
It doesn’t change for gender but does for number: la siguiente parada, las siguientes paradas. The noun parada is feminine, hence la.
Why en and not a before la siguiente parada?
En means “at/in” (location): Espero … en la parada. A indicates direction/destination with verbs of motion: Voy a la parada (“I’m going to the stop”).
Could I say a la siguiente parada in this sentence?
Not with esperar, because you’re stating your location. Use a with movement: Voy a la siguiente parada. With espero, keep en.
Is parada the same as estación?
No. Parada is a (usually small) stop, especially for buses and trams. Estación is a station (train or major bus terminal). In Spain: parada de autobús vs estación de autobuses.
Can I move parts of the sentence around?
Yes. Word order is flexible for emphasis: En la siguiente parada, espero el autobús (emphasizes place), El autobús lo espero en la siguiente parada (emphasizes the object). The original is the most neutral.
How would I replace el autobús with a pronoun?
Use the direct object pronoun lo (masculine singular, thing): Lo espero en la siguiente parada. In Spain, leísmo with things is not standard, so avoid le here.
Is the accent in autobús necessary?
Yes. Autobús carries a written accent to mark the stress on the last syllable. Writing autobus is incorrect in Spanish.
What other words for “bus” are used in Spain?
Common: autobús and bus (colloquial). In the Canary Islands, guagua is standard. On signs you might also see urbano for city buses.
How do I say “I’m getting off at the next stop”?
In Spain: Me bajo en la próxima (or en la siguiente). You can add parada: Me bajo en la próxima parada.
Can I say en la parada siguiente instead of en la siguiente parada?
Yes, both orders are correct. Placing siguiente before the noun is more common and a bit more neutral here.