How to ask "What's the next stop?" in German for buses and trains
Learn to ask the next stop in German, understand the answer, and recognise stop names on buses and trains.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
When you ride a bus or train in a German-speaking country, the most useful question you can ask is "What's the next stop?" This lesson teaches you the exact phrase, how to understand the answer, and how to recognise stop names so you can get off at the right place. You will practise a short dialogue and learn the difference between asking a passenger and asking the driver.
By the end, you can…
- ask "What is the next stop?" in German.
- understand a simple answer naming the next stop.
- recognise common words on stop signs and announcements.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Was ist die nächste Haltestelle?
What is the next stop?
vahs ist dee NAYKH-stuh HAHL-tuh-shtel-uh
Use this on buses, trams and city trains (S-Bahn/U-Bahn). Haltestelle is the usual word for a local stop.
Wie heißt die nächste Haltestelle?
What is the next stop called?
vee HYST dee NAYKH-stuh HAHL-tuh-shtel-uh
Very common and natural. Literally "How is the next stop called?" Use it when you want the name.
Was ist der nächste Bahnhof?
What is the next station?
vahs ist dair NAYKH-stuh BAHN-hohf
Use Bahnhof for a railway station, including larger train stations. On long-distance trains this is the normal word.
Nächster Halt: Hauptbahnhof.
Next stop: Central Station.
NAYKH-ster hahlt HOWPT-bahn-hohf
This is the pattern you hear in announcements. Nächster Halt is followed by the stop name.
Steigen Sie hier aus?
Are you getting off here?
SHTY-gun zee heer ows
Useful when you need to get past someone. Use the informal Steigst du hier aus? with friends or people your age.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To ask about the next stop, use: Was ist die nächste Haltestelle? or Wie heißt die nächste Haltestelle? The word nächste means "next" and changes form with the noun. With die Haltestelle (feminine) you say die nächste Haltestelle. With der Bahnhof (masculine) you say der nächste Bahnhof. In announcements you often hear the short form Nächster Halt: Hauptbahnhof. You can also ask Wo muss ich aussteigen? (Where do I have to get off?) if you know your destination but not the stop name.
When to use it
Ask a fellow passenger when you want a quick, friendly answer: Entschuldigung, wie heißt die nächste Haltestelle? Ask the driver only when the bus is stopped and it is safe, for example: Was ist die nächste Haltestelle? On trains, listen for announcements. They often say Nächster Halt: followed by the station name, or on some trains the next station is shown on a screen. If you did not understand, say Wie bitte? (Pardon?) or Können Sie das wiederholen? (Can you repeat that?).
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Entschuldigung, wie heißt die nächste Haltestelle?
Excuse me, what is the next stop called?ent-SHOOL-dee-goong, vee HYST dee NAYKH-stuh HAHL-tuh-shtel-uhDie nächste Haltestelle heißt Rathaus.
The next stop is called Rathaus.dee NAYKH-stuh HAHL-tuh-shtel-uh HYST RAHT-howsDanke. Muss ich dort aussteigen?
Thank you. Do I have to get off there?DAHN-kuh. moos ikh dort OWS-shty-gunNein, erst an der übernächsten Haltestelle.
No, only at the stop after next.nine, airst ahn dair EW-ber-naykh-stun HAHL-tuh-shtel-uhA little context goes a long way
In German-speaking countries, announcements often use the short form Nächster Halt: plus the stop name, and on buses you may need to press a button to request the stop. Asking a stranger with Entschuldigung first is polite and normal. In Austria and parts of Switzerland, you may hear Station instead of Haltestelle for some stops, and in Switzerland the word Billett is common for a ticket, but the question Wie heißt die nächste Haltestelle? is widely understood.
One thing to watch for
Saying "Was ist die nächste Station?" for every stop, or using Bahnhof for a bus stop.
Try this instead: Use Haltestelle for bus, tram and city train stops: Was ist die nächste Haltestelle? Use Bahnhof for a railway station: Was ist der nächste Bahnhof? Station can be understood in some regions, but Haltestelle is the standard word for local stops.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask "What is the next stop?" using the word Haltestelle?
Show a sample answer
Was ist die nächste Haltestelle?
This uses the feminine noun die Haltestelle with the correct form die nächste. Wie heißt die nächste Haltestelle? is also correct and very natural.
2You hear "Nächster Halt: Hauptbahnhof." What does it mean?
Show a sample answer
Next stop: Central Station.
Nächster Halt means "next stop" and Hauptbahnhof means "main/central station". The name after the colon is the stop.
3You are on a train and want to know the next railway station. Which word do you use?
Show a sample answer
Bahnhof, as in Was ist der nächste Bahnhof?
Bahnhof is the usual word for a railway station. Haltestelle would be understood but is more typical for buses, trams and city trains.
Ask Wie heißt die nächste Haltestelle? for local stops and Was ist der nächste Bahnhof? for train stations. Listen for Nächster Halt: plus the name, and press the button if you need to get off.
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