Latest / Learn Spanish with Fexingo / Spanish at the Bus Stop – Asking When
Transcript
- Lucas: Okay Luna, welcome back to Learn Spanish with Fexingo. Episode ninety-six already — time flies. Luna: I know! And I've been using my Spanish out there, Lucas. I had a moment at a bus stop yesterday... Lucas: Oh, really? A bus stop — that's actually a great topic we haven't covered yet. What happened? Luna: I knew I needed to ask when the bus left, but I froze. I just stood there hoping the driver would see me. Lucas: That's our cue. Today: asking about bus times and stops. Let's start with the key question. Repeat after me: ¿A qué hora sale el autobús? Luna: ¿A qué hora sale el autobús? That's 'at what time does the bus leave?' right? Lucas: Exactly. ¿A qué hora — at what time — sale — leaves — el autobús — the bus. Luna: ¿A qué hora sale el autobús? I can hear a rhythm there. A-qué-o ra sa le el au to-bús. Lucas: Nice breakdown. Now the answer you hope to hear: El autobús sale a las ocho. The bus leaves at eight. Luna: El autobús sale a las ocho. So 'a las' plus the time. That's familiar from 'a las dos' etc. Lucas: You got it. Now, if you want to know how long the ride takes, ask: ¿Cuánto tiempo tarda? How long does it take? Luna: ¿Cuánto tiempo tarda? Tarda — that's the verb for 'takes time'. Lucas: Yes. And the reply could be: Tarda veinte minutos. It takes twenty minutes. Luna: Tarda veinte minutos. Simple and direct. I love how compact Spanish can be. Lucas: Alright, let's do a quick mini-scene. I'm at a bus stop in Madrid and I need to ask you, the local, when the bus to the museum leaves. Luna: Oh, okay. I'll be helpful. Go ahead. Lucas: Disculpe, ¿a qué hora sale el autobús al museo? Luna: El autobús sale a las diez. Y tarda quince minutos. Lucas: Perfect. And if you need to find the stop itself: ¿Dónde está la parada? — Where is the stop? Luna: ¿Dónde está la parada? Parada — that's stop, like bus stop. And the answer: La parada está allí. The stop is over there. Lucas: Exactly. La parada está allí. Let's hear you try the whole set. Luna: Okay. ¿A qué hora sale el autobús? El autobús sale a las ocho. ¿Cuánto tiempo tarda? Tarda veinte minutos. ¿Dónde está la parada? La parada está allí. How was that? Lucas: So good. That's exactly how you'll sound when you're navigating a city. You can confidently ask and understand the basics. Luna: I feel like that bus stop moment won't happen again. I'm ready. Lucas: That's the goal. And speaking of progress — if this podcast has been helping you make real strides in Spanish, maybe consider supporting it. We keep the show ad-free thanks to listeners like you. Luna: Yeah. If today's episode gave you something useful, you can show some love at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Every little bit keeps us going. Lucas: Exactly. Just search 'buy me a coffee fexingo' — that's it. Now back to bus stops! Let's practice one more time with different times. Luna: Yes, drill me. I want this locked in. Lucas: ¿A qué hora sale el autobús? Luna: El autobús sale a las tres y media. Lucas: ¿Cuánto tiempo tarda? Luna: Tarda diez minutos. Lucas: ¿Dónde está la parada? Luna: La parada está a la derecha. Lucas: Muy bien. You're a natural now. Remember, practice these phrases before your next trip. We'll catch you next time. Luna: See you then! ¡Hasta luego!