Cuando el autobús frena, me agarro al pasamanos.

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Breakdown of Cuando el autobús frena, me agarro al pasamanos.

• cuando: when
• el autobús: the bus
• el pasamanos: the handrail

Questions & Answers about Cuando el autobús frena, me agarro al pasamanos.

Why is it cuando without an accent, not cuándo?

Because here cuando is being used as a conjunction meaning when.

• cuando = when in a sentence like When the bus brakes...
• cuándo = when? in a direct or indirect question

Examples:

• Cuando el autobús frena, me agarro al pasamanos. = When the bus brakes, I hold onto the handrail.
• ¿Cuándo frena el autobús? = When does the bus brake?

So in your sentence, no accent is needed.

Why are both verbs in the present tense: frena and me agarro?

Spanish often uses the present tense to talk about something habitual or generally true.

So this sentence means something like:

• Whenever the bus brakes, I hold onto the handrail
• When the bus brakes, I hold onto the handrail

It is not necessarily about one specific moment right now. It describes a usual reaction.

This is very natural in both Spanish and English:

• When it rains, I stay inside.
• Cuando llueve, me quedo dentro.

Why is it me agarro instead of just agarro?