How to Ask Which Bus Goes to the Beach in Spanish
Learn to ask which bus goes to a destination in Latin American Spanish, name bus numbers, and understand the answers you get at the stop.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
When you need to get to the beach, the mall, or the center of town, the fastest way is to ask a local which bus to take. In Spanish, the key question uses ¿Cuál? (which) plus the verb va (goes) plus a (to) plus your destination: ¿Cuál bus va a la playa? This lesson teaches that question, how to name bus numbers, and how to understand short answers such as Tome el 12 or El 45 va para allá. You will also learn the difference between asking about a route and asking about a specific bus at the stop.
By the end, you can…
- ask which bus goes to a destination using ¿Cuál bus va a...?
- name and understand bus numbers in Spanish, such as el 12 or el cuarenta y cinco
- understand short answers about which bus to take and where to catch it
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
¿Cuál bus va a la playa?
Which bus goes to the beach?
KWAHL boos bah ah lah PLAH-yah
The most direct way to ask. Use bus (masculine) in most of Latin America; in some countries you may hear el autobús or el camión.
¿Qué bus me lleva a la playa?
Which bus takes me to the beach?
keh boos meh YEH-bah ah lah PLAH-yah
A friendly alternative with the same meaning. Llevar here means 'to take (someone somewhere)'.
¿Cuál es el número del bus que va al centro?
What is the number of the bus that goes downtown?
KWAHL es el NOO-meh-roh del boos keh bah al SEN-troh
Use this when you want the number specifically, for example to check a sign or an app.
El 12 va a la playa.
The 12 goes to the beach.
el DOH-seh bah ah lah PLAH-yah
A typical answer. Bus numbers are said with the article el: el 12, el 45, el 8.
Tome el cuarenta y cinco.
Take the forty-five.
TOH-meh el kwah-REN-tah ee SEEN-koh
Tome is the polite command form. You may also hear Toma el cuarenta y cinco in informal speech.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is ¿Cuál bus va a + destination? For example: ¿Cuál bus va a la playa? (Which bus goes to the beach?), ¿Cuál bus va al centro? (Which bus goes downtown?), ¿Cuál bus va al aeropuerto? (Which bus goes to the airport?). Notice that a plus el becomes al: a + el centro = al centro. For feminine places, use a la: a la playa, a la terminal. If you want to be more polite, add por favor at the end: ¿Cuál bus va a la playa, por favor?
When to use it
Use this question at a bus stop, in a station, or with a driver when you are not sure about the route. If you are already looking at a bus and want to confirm, point and ask ¿Este bus va a la playa? (Does this bus go to the beach?). To ask about the number, say ¿Qué número es? (What number is it?) or ¿Cuál es el número? The answer often comes as El 12 or El cuarenta y cinco, so listen for the number first, then the destination.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Disculpe, ¿cuál bus va a la playa?
Excuse me, which bus goes to the beach?dees-KOOL-peh, KWAHL boos bah ah lah PLAH-yahEl 12 va a la playa.
The 12 goes to the beach.el DOH-seh bah ah lah PLAH-yah¿Dónde tomo el 12?
Where do I catch the 12?DOHN-deh TOH-moh el DOH-sehEn la esquina, frente a la farmacia.
At the corner, across from the pharmacy.en lah es-KEE-nah, FREN-teh ah lah far-MAH-see-ahA little context goes a long way
In much of Latin America, the word for bus varies: bus is common in Mexico and Central America, autobús in some countries, and colectivo or micro in parts of the Southern Cone. In Mexico, camión can mean a city bus. Bus numbers are usually said with the article el, and routes may be identified by a number, a color, or a destination sign. When you ask, keep it short and polite, and repeat the number back to confirm.
One thing to watch for
Saying ¿Cuál bus va a el centro?
Try this instead: Use the contraction al: ¿Cuál bus va al centro? The preposition a plus the article el always becomes al. Compare: a la playa (no contraction, because la stays), but al centro, al aeropuerto, al mercado.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask 'Which bus goes to the beach?'
Show a sample answer
¿Cuál bus va a la playa?
This uses cuál + bus + va + a + la playa. You may also hear ¿Qué bus va a la playa? or ¿Qué bus me lleva a la playa?, which are equally valid.
2The driver says 'Tome el cuarenta y cinco.' Which bus should you take?
Show a sample answer
Bus 45.
Cuarenta y cinco means 45. The polite command tome tells you to take that bus. In informal speech you might hear Toma el cuarenta y cinco.
3How would you ask whether a specific bus goes downtown?
Show a sample answer
¿Este bus va al centro?
Este bus means 'this bus.' Note the contraction al for a + el. You could also ask ¿Este bus va para el centro? in some regions.
Ask ¿Cuál bus va a...? to find the right route, listen for the number with el, and remember the contraction al before a masculine destination.
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