At the bus station, a screen shows the departures. Learn to read it, and to ask when and where your bus leaves and when it arrives.

Your turn

At the station you see these two signs. What do they mean?

Salidas / Llegadas

The main idea

WordMeaning
Salidasdepartures
Llegadasarrivals
Destinodestination
Horatime
Andéngate, the bay where you board
Estadostatus
A tiempoon time
Retrasadodelayed
Abordandoboarding

andén sounds like ahn-DEN.

Read: the board

On Saturday morning, Ben looks at the departures board.

Salidas

HoraDestinoAndénEstado
07:45Veracruz3Abordando
08:00Puebla5A tiempo
08:15Oaxaca2Retrasado
08:30Puebla5A tiempo
Your turn

Ben's bus to Puebla leaves at 8:00. Which gate?

Your turn

Which bus is late?

Ask about your bus

¿A qué hora sale el autobús a Puebla?
What time does the bus to Puebla leave?
Sale a las ocho.
It leaves at eight.
¿De qué andén sale?
Which gate does it leave from?
Del andén cinco.
From gate five.
¿Es directo?
Is it direct?
¿A qué hora llega a Puebla?
What time does it get to Puebla?
Salgo el sábado a las ocho.
I'm leaving on Saturday at eight.
Llego a Puebla a las diez.
I get to Puebla at ten.

salir (to leave) is salgo for I and sale for the bus. llegar takes a, as you know: llega a Puebla. de and el join into del: del andén cinco.

Ben: Disculpe, ¿de qué andén sale el autobús de las ocho a Puebla?
Excuse me, which gate does the eight o'clock bus to Puebla leave from?
Empleada: Del andén cinco.
From gate five.
Ben: ¿Es directo?
Is it direct?
Empleada: Sí, es directo.
Yes, it's direct.
Ben: ¿Y a qué hora llega a Puebla?
And what time does it get to Puebla?
Empleada: A las diez y cuarto, más o menos.
At about a quarter past ten.

Quick check

Your turn

Ask what time the bus leaves, with salir:

¿A qué hora el autobús a Puebla?
Your turn

Say that you get to Puebla at ten. Complete: ___ a Puebla a las diez.

Your turn

You want to know whether the bus makes stops on the way. Ask:

Your turn

The board says Retrasado. What does it mean?

Your turn

At the information desk, ask which gate the bus to Oaxaca leaves from and what time it arrives.

Take with you

¿A qué hora sale el autobús a Puebla?
What time does the bus to Puebla leave?
¿De qué andén sale?
Which gate does it leave from?
¿Es directo?
Is it direct?
¿A qué hora llega a Puebla?
What time does it get to Puebla?
Salgo el sábado a las ocho.
I'm leaving on Saturday at eight.
Sale con veinte minutos de retraso.
It's leaving twenty minutes late.

sale for when it leaves, llega for when it arrives, and andén for where you board.