Transport in Spanish
24 words Spanish words on the topic “transport”: la estación — station, el metro — metro, el autobús — bus, el taxi — taxi. 24 words can be played from recordings.
24 words on the topic
- la estaciónstationBoth a metro stop and a train station: la estación de metro, la estación de tren
- el metrometroMasculine and never declined: el metro, voy en metro. The same word is the meter of measurement
- el autobúsbusIn the plural the accent disappears: los autobuses. The long-distance coach has a name of its own, el autocar
- el taxitaxiMasculine: el taxi. In Spain you take a cab at the rank, la parada de taxis, not by waving from the curb
- el semáforotraffic lightseh-MAH-foh-roh
- la bicicletabicycleLa bici in speech. To go by bike: ir en bici
- la parada del autobúsbus stopFrom parar, to stop. A metro stop is a different word: la estación
- el abono de transportetravel passIn Madrid this is simply el abono; in Barcelona the card is called la T-casual
- la rutarouteA travel route and a hiking trail alike. A city route's number is la línea
- el paso de peatonescrosswalkEl peatón is a pedestrian. The painted stripes are colloquially la cebra — the zebra
- el atascotraffic jamOnly about cars. A cork in a bottle is el corcho, a clog in the sink el tapón
- el aparcamientocar parkThe Spanish word; Latin America says el estacionamiento. The verb is aparcar
- la gasolineragas stationFrom la gasolina. To fill up is echar gasolina — literally 'pour some gasoline'
- el carné de conducirdriving licenceOne document, one word, singular. Also written carnet, pronounced the same
- la paradastop (any transport)The place where transport stands: la parada de autobús is the same parada spelled out. A pause is la pausa
- el pasajeropassengerSame root as pasar. As an adjective the word means fleeting: un dolor pasajero
- el asientoseatBoth the seat itself and the place on your ticket: el asiento de ventanilla. A chair in a room is la silla
- el asiderograb handleFrom asir, to grip: the loop or handle you hold on to. The long tube along the bus is la barra
- el revisorticket inspectorFrom revisar, to check. Latin America more often says el inspector
- el precio del billetefareSpaniards speak of the ticket price, not a fare as such. Latin America says el boleto or el pasaje
- abarrotadopackedCrammed, with people pressed together. Lleno is merely full, no squeezing
- el sitio librefree seatEl sitio is space, el asiento the seat itself. The short question to a neighbor: ¿está libre?
- la máquina de billetesticket machineA machine here is máquina; a snack vending machine is la máquina expendedora
- la demoradelayThe ordinary word in Latin America; boards in Spain print el retraso
How it sounds in a sentence
A word list is a blank. Conversation is made of sentences, and these are the ones the words fit into most often.
- Te espero en la estación, al lado del relojI'll wait for you at the station, by the clock
- En hora punta el metro es más rápido que el taxiAt rush hour the metro is faster than the taxi
- A esta hora el autobús va llenoAt this hour the bus is packed
- ¿Me pide un taxi, por favor?Could you call me a taxi, please?
- Gire a la derecha después del semáforoTurn right after the traffic light
- Voy al trabajo en bicicletaI go to work by bicycle
What is worth knowing about these words
la estación — station. Both a metro stop and a train station: la estación de metro, la estación de tren
el metro — metro. Masculine and never declined: el metro, voy en metro. The same word is the meter of measurement
el autobús — bus. In the plural the accent disappears: los autobuses. The long-distance coach has a name of its own, el autocar
el taxi — taxi. Masculine: el taxi. In Spain you take a cab at the rank, la parada de taxis, not by waving from the curb
Test yourself
First by ear — the way you will meet the word in conversation. Click the speaker and pick the translation.
- What is this word?
It is la estación — station.
- What is this word?
It is el abono de transporte — travel pass.
- What is this word?
It is la parada — stop (any transport).
- What is this word?
It is el sitio libre — free seat.
- What is this word?
It is el semáforo — traffic light.
Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “station” in Spanish?
Both a metro stop and a train station: la estación de metro, la estación de tren
- How do you say “travel pass” in Spanish?
In Madrid this is simply el abono; in Barcelona the card is called la T-casual
- How do you say “stop (any transport)” in Spanish?
The place where transport stands: la parada de autobús is the same parada spelled out. A pause is la pausa
- How do you say “free seat” in Spanish?
El sitio is space, el asiento the seat itself. The short question to a neighbor: ¿está libre?
- How do you say “traffic light” in Spanish?
Stress on the second syllable, hence the accent. En el semáforo — at the traffic light
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
Bus, metro, taxi, stop, station. These are words you need to recognize in writing — off a departure board and off a sign.
A list is read in a minute and forgotten in a day. What works: hide the translation, try to recall, get it wrong — and come back to the same words tomorrow.
- Recalling beats re-reading. Covering the translation and trying to remember it does more than reading it ten more times.checked many timesAdesope, Trevisan & Sundararajan, 2017, Review of Educational Research 87(3) · 188 experiments, 272 comparisons. g = 0.61; against plain re-reading 0.51, against passive review 0.93.
- This holds not only in experiments but in ordinary classrooms, with real students.checked many timesMawson & Kang, 2025, Behavioral Sciences 15(6):771 · 22 studies, d = 0.54 (confidence interval 0.31–0.77). The authors warn that individual studies disagree widely.
Frequently asked
How do you say “station” in Spanish?
«la estación». Both a metro stop and a train station: la estación de metro, la estación de tren. It is one of 24 words in the set “transport” — the rest are in the table above.
How many transport words do you need to start?
A dozen is enough. The set of 24 words on this page covers nearly every everyday case on the topic — but it is best taken a few at a time, not all at once.
Is there audio?
Yes, 24 words on this page can be played — click the speaker next to the word. The sound works on any phone, and nothing needs to be installed.