Bus in Different Languages
Discover 'Bus' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'bus' is an essential part of our daily vocabulary, especially for those of us who rely on public transportation. But did you know that the term 'bus' is a shortened version of the word 'omnibus,' which means 'for all' in Latin? This name was given to the first horse-drawn vehicles that carried passengers along a fixed route, picking up and dropping off passengers at designated stops. Today, the word 'bus' is used in many languages around the world, reflecting the cultural importance of public transportation.
Understanding the translation of 'bus' in different languages can be both fascinating and practical. For instance, in Spanish, 'bus' is 'autobús,' while in French, it's 'autobus' as well. In German, it's 'Bus,' and in Italian, it's 'autobus.' These translations not only provide insight into the linguistic diversity of different cultures but also come in handy when traveling abroad.
In this article, we'll explore the translations of 'bus' in various languages, shedding light on the cultural significance of this common mode of transportation. So, buckle up and get ready to embark on a linguistic journey!
Bus
Bus in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | bus | ||
| "Bus" can also mean a bundle of brushwood, or a horsehair wig tied in a bun. | |||
| Amharic | አውቶቡስ | ||
| The word "አውቶቡስ" is derived from the Greek word "auto" meaning "self" and the Latin word "omnibus" meaning "for all". | |||
| Hausa | bas | ||
| "Bas" can also mean "enough" or "finished" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | bọs | ||
| The word "bọs" (bus) in Igbo also means "to carry" or "to transport". | |||
| Malagasy | fiara fitateram-bahoaka | ||
| The Malagasy word comes from the French phrase "voiture fiacre à traction à quatre roues motrices" (a steam wagon with 4 driving wheels). | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | basi | ||
| In Nyanja, "basi" also refers to a large, flat wooden tray used for carrying heavy objects. | |||
| Shona | bhazi | ||
| In Zimbabwean Shona, "bhazi" can also refer to one's "father's sister". | |||
| Somali | baska | ||
| 'Baska' is likely derived from the English word 'bus' and has also been used to refer to a type of large boat | |||
| Sesotho | bese | ||
| Possibly related to 'beisa,' an antelope species found in Eastern and Southern Africa. | |||
| Swahili | basi | ||
| The word "basi" in Swahili can also refer to a traditional fermented alcoholic beverage made from bananas, sorghum, or millet. | |||
| Xhosa | ibhasi | ||
| "Ibhasi" derives from the Portuguese word "autocarro," meaning "a large self-propelled vehicle for carrying passengers," via the Zulu language. | |||
| Yoruba | bosi | ||
| Bosi is also the Oghene (deity) of thunder and lightning, one of many manifestations of Oghene in the Yoruba pantheon. | |||
| Zulu | ibhasi | ||
| The Zulu word "ibhasi" also refers to a large metal container, likely due to its resemblance to a bus's shape and size. | |||
| Bambara | kaare | ||
| Ewe | ʋugã | ||
| Kinyarwanda | bus | ||
| Lingala | bisi | ||
| Luganda | baasi | ||
| Sepedi | pese | ||
| Twi (Akan) | bɔɔso | ||
Bus in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | حافلة | ||
| Hebrew | אוֹטוֹבּוּס | ||
| The word אוטובּוּס is a combination of the Greek words "auto" (self) and Latin "omnibus" (for all). | |||
| Pashto | بس | ||
| The word "بس" (bus) in Pashto also means "enough" or "stop". | |||
| Arabic | حافلة | ||
Bus in Western European Languages
| Albanian | autobus | ||
| "Autobus" (bus) in Albanian comes from the French "autobus" and also means "motorcycle" or "scooter". | |||
| Basque | autobusa | ||
| The word "autobusa" comes from the French "autobus" and the Basque suffix "-a". | |||
| Catalan | autobús | ||
| Catalan "autobús" originally meant "motor coach" and was borrowed from French "autobus", formed from "auto-" (="self") and "bus" (="omnibus") | |||
| Croatian | autobus | ||
| The word "autobus" used to mean "automobile" in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | bus | ||
| The Danish word "bus" can also refer to a pair of trousers. | |||
| Dutch | bus | ||
| In Dutch, "bus" can also refer to a "bundle of wood" or a "large basket used to carry laundry." | |||
| English | bus | ||
| The word "bus" originally referred to large horseless carriages used for transporting people or goods. | |||
| French | autobus | ||
| In French, the word "autobus" originally referred to a self-propelled vehicle that carried passengers, but it has since come to mean specifically a large public transport vehicle. | |||
| Frisian | bus | ||
| In Frisian, the word “bus” can also mean a type of fishing boat. | |||
| Galician | autobús | ||
| In Galician, the word "autobús" (bus) derives from the Latin "auto" (self) and "omnibus" (for all), reflecting its shared transportation nature. | |||
| German | bus | ||
| In German, "Bus" also refers to a bundle of sticks or a thick bunch of flowers. | |||
| Icelandic | strætó | ||
| Strætó comes from Old Norse stræti (street) and vagn (carriage), reflecting that it initially ran along city streets. | |||
| Irish | bus | ||
| In Irish, the word “bus” can also refer to a horse | |||
| Italian | autobus | ||
| "Autobus" in Italian also means "self-propelled vehicle". | |||
| Luxembourgish | bus | ||
| The word "Bus" is derived from the French word "autobus" and the Latin word "omnibus", meaning "for all". | |||
| Maltese | xarabank | ||
| The word 'xarabank' is a portmanteau of 'xarab', meaning 'a large, noisy vehicle', and 'bank', referring to the benches where passengers sit. | |||
| Norwegian | buss | ||
| The Norwegian word "buss" can also refer to a kiss, which is derived from the Old Norse word "buss" meaning "to kiss". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | ônibus | ||
| The word "ônibus" derives from the Latin "omnibus", meaning "for all", referring to the fact that it is a public vehicle that serves everyone. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | bus | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, "bus" or "busa" also signifies an "undercurrent". | |||
| Spanish | autobús | ||
| The Spanish word "autobús" is derived from the Latin words "auto," meaning "self," and "omnibus," meaning "for all." | |||
| Swedish | buss | ||
| Welsh | bws | ||
| The word 'bws' can also mean 'bow' or 'arc' in Welsh. | |||
Bus in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | аўтобус | ||
| "Аўтобус" is derived from the Latin "omnibus," meaning "for all," referring to its use for public transportation. | |||
| Bosnian | autobus | ||
| The word "autobus" in Bosnian comes from the French word "autobus", which in turn comes from the Greek words "autos" (self) and "bus" (ox), likely referring to an early form of self-propelled vehicle. | |||
| Bulgarian | автобус | ||
| В старом болгарском языке «автобус» означал «сам еду». | |||
| Czech | autobus | ||
| In Czech, the word "autobus" originally meant "automobile coach", as it was derived from Latin "auto" (self) and French "omnibus" (for all, general). | |||
| Estonian | buss | ||
| The word "buss" also means "kiss" in Estonian, originating from the sound made when someone kisses. | |||
| Finnish | bussi | ||
| "Bussi" is derived from the French word "omnibus" (meaning "for all"), which in turn comes from the Latin phrase "omnibus viis" (meaning "by all ways"). | |||
| Hungarian | busz | ||
| The Hungarian word "busz" likely originated from the German word "Bus" and also means "punishment". | |||
| Latvian | autobuss | ||
| "Buss" is a loanword from German "Bus" and is cognate with English "bus". | |||
| Lithuanian | autobusas | ||
| The word "autobusas" is derived from the Greek words "autos" (self) and "basis" (step), referring to the self-propelled nature of buses. | |||
| Macedonian | автобус | ||
| The word "автобус" in Macedonian is derived from the Greek word "αὐτό" (auto) meaning "self" and "βοῦς" (bous) meaning "ox". | |||
| Polish | autobus | ||
| In Polish, "autobus" also means "motor coach" or "large passenger bus." | |||
| Romanian | autobuz | ||
| The word "autobuz" is derived from the French word "autobus", which is a shortened form of "omnibus", meaning "for all". The word "omnibus" was originally used to describe a horse-drawn carriage that could carry multiple passengers. | |||
| Russian | автобус | ||
| "Автобус" comes from the Greek word "αυτός" (autos), meaning "self," and the Latin word "omnibus," meaning "for all." | |||
| Serbian | аутобус | ||
| The Serbian word 'аутобус' is derived from the Greek words 'αυτο' (self) and 'βους' (ox), meaning 'self-moving ox'. | |||
| Slovak | autobus | ||
| Autobus is shortened from the original word "automobilový autobus" in Slovak, meaning "automobile bus". | |||
| Slovenian | avtobus | ||
| Avtobus is the Slovenian word for a bus, the word comes from the German word | |||
| Ukrainian | автобус | ||
| The Ukrainian word "автобус" is derived from the Greek "autos" (self) and "omnibus" (for all), reflecting its role as a public shared form of transport. | |||
Bus in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বাস | ||
| The word 'বাস' also means 'stay' in Bengali and is cognate to the Sanskrit word 'वास' of the same meaning. | |||
| Gujarati | બસ | ||
| The Gujarati word "બસ" ("bus") can also refer to a "stop" (as on a public transportation route) as well as the concept "enough, sufficient". | |||
| Hindi | बस | ||
| The word 'बस' ('bus') in Hindi may also refer to 'enough' or 'that's it'. | |||
| Kannada | ಬಸ್ | ||
| The word 'ಬಸ್' (bus) is derived from the Latin word 'omnibus', meaning 'for all'. | |||
| Malayalam | ബസ് | ||
| Marathi | बस | ||
| In Marathi, 'बस' also denotes a stop or a resting place. | |||
| Nepali | बस | ||
| The word "बस" (bus) in Nepali also means "enough" or "sufficient". | |||
| Punjabi | ਬੱਸ | ||
| The word "ਬੱਸ" (bus) in Punjabi is also used to refer to a specific type of public transportation, typically a large, motorized vehicle that carries passengers along a fixed route. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | බස් | ||
| The word "බස්" in Sinhala can also mean "speech" or "language" | |||
| Tamil | பேருந்து | ||
| In Tamil, "பேருந்து" means "vehicle for many" and has also been used to refer to trains and ships in the past. | |||
| Telugu | బస్సు | ||
| The word "బస్సు" (bus) in Telugu is derived from the English word "bus" and can also refer to an "omnibus" or a "coach". | |||
| Urdu | بس | ||
| The word "بس" (bus) is derived from the Latin word "omnibus", meaning "for all". | |||
Bus in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 总线 | ||
| 总线 (zǒngxiàn) in Chinese can also refer to a computer bus, a type of communication channel that connects multiple devices in a computer system. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 總線 | ||
| 總線 (bus) can also refer to a computer bus, a path for data transfer within a computer system. | |||
| Japanese | バス | ||
| In Japanese, "バス" also refers to the bass musical note or instrument, and can be used as a verb meaning "to bathe". | |||
| Korean | 버스 | ||
| 버스(bus)는 버스(bus)를 운전하는 기사를 뜻하는 영어 단어에서 유래하였습니다. | |||
| Mongolian | автобус | ||
| In Mongolian, "автобус" can also refer to a specific type of small passenger vehicle used in rural areas. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဘတ်စ်ကား | ||
Bus in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | bis | ||
| "Bis" comes from the Dutch word "bus", which in turn comes from the Latin word "omnibus", meaning "for all". | |||
| Javanese | bis | ||
| In Javanese, "bis" also means "not yet" or "still not". | |||
| Khmer | ឡានក្រុង | ||
| Lao | ລົດເມ | ||
| The word "ລົດເມ" can also mean "car" in Lao, demonstrating its broad usage in transportation terminology. | |||
| Malay | bas | ||
| The Malay word "bas" is also used to refer to musical bass instruments due to their deep and resonant sound. | |||
| Thai | รถบัส | ||
| The Thai word for "bus" is derived from the English word "omnibus," meaning "for all". | |||
| Vietnamese | xe buýt | ||
| In Vietnamese the word "xe buýt" also means "coffin on wheels". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bus | ||
Bus in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | avtobus | ||
| The word "avtobus" in Azerbaijani is derived from the Russian word "автобус" (avtobus), which in turn comes from the Latin word "omnibus" meaning "for all". | |||
| Kazakh | автобус | ||
| "Автобус" comes from Greek "αὐτό" (self) and Latin "омнибус" - "for all". | |||
| Kyrgyz | автобус | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "автобус" comes from the Russian word "автобус" meaning "bus". | |||
| Tajik | автобус | ||
| The word "автобус" derives from the Greek "αυτοκίνητον" meaning "self-propelled". | |||
| Turkmen | awtobus | ||
| Uzbek | avtobus | ||
| "Avtobus" comes from the Greek "auto" (self) and the Latin "omnibus" (for all), and in addition to "bus" can also mean "carriage" or "autocar" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | ئاپتوبۇس | ||
Bus in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kaʻa ʻōhua | ||
| The term "kaʻa ʻōhua" literally means "vehicle of iron" in Hawaiian, reflecting the material used in its construction. | |||
| Maori | pahi | ||
| Pahi, meaning "boat" in Māori, was applied to motor buses as they replaced horse-drawn omnibuses, as a humorous reference to their similarity to a ship on the road. | |||
| Samoan | pasi | ||
| In Samoan, 'pasi' is also a term for a flat surface used for serving food, derived from the word 'pā' meaning 'flat' and 'si' meaning 'eat'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | bus | ||
| In Tagalog, "bus" can also mean the process of "busting out" or breaking free from something. | |||
Bus in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | k'añasku | ||
| Guarani | mba'yruguata | ||
Bus in International Languages
| Esperanto | buso | ||
| The word "buso" in Esperanto probably comes from either German "Bus" or French "autobus" | |||
| Latin | bus | ||
| "Bus" also denotes "ox" in Latin. | |||
Bus in Others Languages
| Greek | λεωφορείο | ||
| "Λεωφορείο" comes from the Greek word "λεωφόρος" (avenue) and "φορεί" (carry), referencing its function of transporting people along avenues. | |||
| Hmong | chaw tos tsheb loj | ||
| The Hmong word "chaw tos tsheb loj" is a compound word meaning "large car for people". | |||
| Kurdish | bas | ||
| The word "bas" in Kurdish can also mean "head" or "top". | |||
| Turkish | otobüs | ||
| The word "otobüs" originally meant "fire cart" and later came to mean "bus" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | ibhasi | ||
| "Ibhasi" derives from the Portuguese word "autocarro," meaning "a large self-propelled vehicle for carrying passengers," via the Zulu language. | |||
| Yiddish | באַס | ||
| בּאַס, a variant spelling also used in Polish, likely derived from the Greek or Latin root for "footstep." | |||
| Zulu | ibhasi | ||
| The Zulu word "ibhasi" also refers to a large metal container, likely due to its resemblance to a bus's shape and size. | |||
| Assamese | বাছ | ||
| Aymara | k'añasku | ||
| Bhojpuri | बस | ||
| Dhivehi | ބަސް | ||
| Dogri | बस्स | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bus | ||
| Guarani | mba'yruguata | ||
| Ilocano | bus | ||
| Krio | bɔs | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پاس | ||
| Maithili | बस | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯕꯁ | ||
| Mizo | bus | ||
| Oromo | atoobisii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବସ୍ | ||
| Quechua | omnibus | ||
| Sanskrit | बस | ||
| Tatar | автобус | ||
| Tigrinya | ኣውቶብስ | ||
| Tsonga | bazi | ||