The bus is late
A very common and slightly more conversational way to say the bus is running late, literally 'The bus is coming late'.
A direct synonym for 'está retrasado'. 'Demorado' also means delayed and is used interchangeably in many regions.
Another common alternative, meaning 'The bus is coming with a delay'.
I've been waiting for ten minutes. The bus is late.
Let the office know I'm going to be late, the bus is running late.
Do you know why it's not here? —Yes, the bus is delayed because of traffic.
The app says the bus is running ten minutes late.
The word for 'bus' varies significantly. 'Autobús' is the most neutral term. 'Bus' is common in many places. However, regional terms are very frequent: 'camión' (Mexico), 'colectivo' (Argentina), 'micro' (Chile), and 'guagua' (Caribbean countries like Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic).
In Spain, 'autobús' is the standard term. You will commonly hear 'El autobús lleva retraso' (The bus has a delay) or 'El autobús viene con retraso'.
It's very common to call the bus a 'camión'. You would say: 'El camión está retrasado' or 'El camión viene tarde'.
The word is 'colectivo' (or 'bondi' colloquially). A common phrase is 'El colectivo está demorado'.
'Bus' is common, as is 'buseta' for smaller buses. 'El bus está demorado' is a perfectly standard and common way to express this.
El bus es tarde. — El bus está retrasado. — Being late is a temporary state or condition, not a permanent characteristic. For temporary states, you must use the verb 'estar', not 'ser'.
El bus está tarde. — El bus viene tarde. — While some speakers might say this, it sounds like a direct translation from English. The adverb 'tarde' (late) works best with a verb of motion like 'venir' (to come) or 'llegar' (to arrive).
El autobús está roto. — El bus está retrasado. — 'Roto' means broken. While a broken bus would certainly be late, 'roto' doesn't mean 'late'. Use 'retrasado' or 'demorado' for 'late' or 'delayed'.
Found this useful? Save it for later.