El transporte
The nouns you need to recognise on a reading paper, and the verbs that go with them. The verb section matters most: Spanish gets on a bus and gets into a car with two different verbs, and an exam will test exactly that.
Medios de transporte
el autobúsmnoun
the bus
El bus in speech. Latin America uses many other words: la micro in Chile, el colectivo in Argentina, la combi in Peru.
el metromnoun
the underground
el trenmnoun
the train
el aviónmnoun
the plane
Plural los aviones: the accent disappears.
el barcomnoun
the boat, the ship
el cochemnoun
the car
El carro in most of Latin America, el auto in the Southern Cone.
la bicicletafnoun
the bicycle
La bici in everyday speech.
la motofnoun
the motorbike
Feminine even though it ends in -o: it is short for la motocicleta.
el taximnoun
the taxi
a pie
on foot
No article, no verb of transport: Voy a pie.
Lugares
la estaciónfnoun
the station
La estación está cerca del centro. · The station is near the centre.
la paradafnoun
the bus stop
El paradero in Peru, Chile and Colombia.
el aeropuertomnoun
the airport
el andénmnoun
the platform
la taquillafnoun
the ticket office
La boletería across most of Latin America.
el billetemnoun
the ticket
Spain only. Latin America says el boleto or el pasaje.
el horariomnoun
the timetable
el retrasomnoun
the delay
El tren lleva veinte minutos de retraso. · The train is twenty minutes late.
Verbos: subir y bajar
subir averb
to get on
Subo al autobús en la plaza. · I get on the bus at the square.
Used for anything you stand up in: el autobús, el tren, el avión, el barco.
bajar deverb
to get off
Bajo del tren en la próxima parada. · I get off the train at the next stop.
The pair of subir a. Bajo del tren, never bajo el tren.
entrar enverb
to get into
For a car, where you sit down rather than stand: entro en el coche.
salir deverb
to get out of
Salió del taxi sin pagar. · He got out of the taxi without paying.
Verbos: ir y llegar
ir enverb
to go by
Voy en metro al colegio. · I go to school by underground.
The medium takes en: en autobús, en tren, en coche. The exception is a pie, on foot.
cogerverb
to catch, as in a bus
Standard in Spain: coger el autobús. In much of Latin America it is vulgar — use tomar instead.
tomarverb
to take, the safe verb everywhere
Tomamos el tren de las ocho. · We take the eight o'clock train.
The safe verb everywhere: tomar el autobús, tomar un taxi.
llegar averb
to arrive at
Llegamos a la estación a las seis. · We arrive at the station at six.
salirverb
to leave, to depart
El avión sale a las diez. · The plane leaves at ten.
perderverb
to miss
Perdí el autobús por dos minutos. · I missed the bus by two minutes.
Perder el tren, perder el vuelo. Not fallar.
hacer transbordoverb
to change
Changing line or train. Hacer trasbordo is also written without the n.
tardar enverb
to take a certain time
El viaje tarda dos horas. · The journey takes two hours.
Verbos: conducir y aparcar
conducirverb
to drive
Manejar in most of Latin America.
aparcarverb
to park
Spain. Estacionar or parquear in Latin America.
cruzarverb
to cross
Cruza la calle por el paso de peatones. · Cross at the pedestrian crossing.
girarverb
to turn
Doblar in Latin America: dobla a la derecha.
seguir rectoverb
to go straight on
Seguir derecho in Latin America.
Para escribir sobre un viaje
el viajemnoun
the journey
Not el viaje for a trip you take; that is also el viaje. But to travel is viajar.
el trayectomnoun
the route, the leg
de ida y vuelta
return, round trip
Un billete de ida y vuelta.
puntualadjective
on time
El tren llegó puntual. · The train arrived on time.
caro / baratoadjective
expensive / cheap
rápido / lentoadjective
fast / slow
cómodoadjective
comfortable
contaminarverb
to pollute
Useful for the environment topic: el coche contamina más que el tren.