Asking for Directions on the Bus

Key vocabulary

• centrom.

  downtown, city center

  “¿Va al centro?”— Does this bus go downtown?

  Pattern al centro (to downtown)

  Compare centro de la ciudad (city center)

  noun, singular; plural: centros

  💡 From Latin centrum, same root as English 'center'; think 'center'.

• próximaadj.

  next

  “La próxima parada.”— The next stop.

  Pattern la próxima parada (the next stop)

  Compare siguiente (next)

  feminine form; masculine próximo; plural próximas

  💡 pro- means 'forward', -xima comes from Latin for 'nearest'; think 'coming up soon'.

• paradaf.

  stop (bus stop)

  “La próxima parada.”— The next stop.

  Pattern parada de autobús (bus stop)

  Compare estación (station)

  noun, singular; plural: paradas

  💡 From the verb parar (to stop), with -ada indicating a place; think 'place where it stops'.

• bajarv.

  to get off, to go down

  “¿Dónde bajo?”— Where do I get off?

  Pattern bajar del autobús (to get off the bus)

  Compare descender (to descend)

  infinitive; present tense: yo bajo, tú bajas, él baja

  💡 From ba- (low) and -jar; think 'to go down', hence to get off.

• plazaf.

  square, plaza

  “Baje en la plaza.”— Get off at the square.

  Pattern plaza mayor (main square)

  Compare parque (park)

  noun, singular; plural: plazas

  💡 Cognate with Italian piazza; both refer to a public space; think 'plaza'.