French word

bus

Pronunciation

IPA/bys/

Meaning

  • masculine nounbus

Example

Nous prenons le bus pour aller au centre-ville.

We take the bus to go downtown.

Illustration for bus (bus)

More examples

Le bus est arrivé en retard ce matin.

The bus arrived late this morning.

Core concept

A scheduled vehicle following an urban route and carrying many passengers together.

Common phrases

  • prendre le bus

    take the bus

  • monter dans le bus

    get on the bus

  • descendre du bus

    get off the bus

Similar words

métro: An urban train running quickly on dedicated underground or elevated lines.
tramway: A rail vehicle carrying passengers along streets or dedicated tracks.
taxi: A small hired car that takes passengers to their chosen destination.
autocar: A large passenger vehicle linking cities on long-distance or tour routes.

Definition in French

Autobus destiné au transport collectif des personnes sur des lignes urbaines ou périurbaines.

Word origin

French bus is a nineteenth-century shortening of omnibus, from Latin omnibus, meaning 'for everyone'.

Usage tips

  • Bus is masculine, so standard usage is le bus, and the usual expression for taking it is prendre le bus.

Opposites

Word lists with this word