Significado
To arrive too late to get on a bus.
Contexto cultural
In the UK, queuing (standing in a line) for the bus is a sacred social rule. If you 'miss the bus' because you were at the back of a long queue, it's considered bad luck, but 'jumping the queue' to catch it is a major social sin. Japanese buses are famous for being exactly on time. If the schedule says 08:01, the bus leaves at 08:01. Missing the bus in Japan is almost always the passenger's fault, and it is rarely used as an excuse for work lateness. Because much of the US is car-centric, 'missing the bus' is very often used figuratively. Many Americans might go years without stepping on a literal bus, but they use the idiom 'miss the bus' frequently in business. Punctuality is a core cultural value. Missing a bus is often seen as a sign of 'Unpünktlichkeit' (unpunctuality), which is viewed quite negatively in professional settings.
Don't say 'Lose'
This is the #1 mistake. Even if your language uses 'lose', English always uses 'miss' for transport.
Use 'the' not 'a'
90% of the time, you should say 'miss THE bus' because you are talking about a specific one you wanted.
Significado
To arrive too late to get on a bus.
Don't say 'Lose'
This is the #1 mistake. Even if your language uses 'lose', English always uses 'miss' for transport.
Use 'the' not 'a'
90% of the time, you should say 'miss THE bus' because you are talking about a specific one you wanted.
The 'Missed the Bus' Excuse
In English-speaking countries, this is a very common (and sometimes doubted) excuse for being late. Use it sparingly!
Ponte a prueba
Fill in the blank with the correct form of 'miss'.
I was five minutes late, so I ______ the bus.
The sentence is in the past tense ('I was'), so we use 'missed'.
Which sentence is correct?
Choose the natural English sentence.
In English, we 'miss' transport, we don't 'lose' it or 'miss to' it.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Why are you walking? B: I ________ and the next one isn't for an hour.
B is explaining a completed action that happened just before the conversation.
Match the phrase to the situation.
Situation: You waited too long to buy tickets for a concert and now they are sold out.
This is the figurative use of the phrase meaning 'missed an opportunity'.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Ayudas visuales
Things You Can Miss
Transport
- • Bus
- • Train
- • Plane
- • Boat
Opportunities
- • A sale
- • A deadline
- • A chance
- • A meeting
Banco de ejercicios
4 ejerciciosI was five minutes late, so I ______ the bus.
The sentence is in the past tense ('I was'), so we use 'missed'.
Choose the natural English sentence.
In English, we 'miss' transport, we don't 'lose' it or 'miss to' it.
A: Why are you walking? B: I ________ and the next one isn't for an hour.
B is explaining a completed action that happened just before the conversation.
Situation: You waited too long to buy tickets for a concert and now they are sold out.
This is the figurative use of the phrase meaning 'missed an opportunity'.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Preguntas frecuentes
10 preguntasYes! You can 'miss' any scheduled transport: bus, train, plane, flight, or boat.
'Miss the bus' is much more common. 'Miss a bus' sounds like you don't care which bus it was.
Yes, it can be literal (transport) or idiomatic (missed opportunity).
They mean the same thing. 'Miss the boat' is just another way to say you missed an opportunity.
It sounds exactly like 'mist'. The 'ed' is a 't' sound.
Yes, 'my bus' is very common if it's the bus you take every day.
'Missed' is the verb. 'Mist' is light rain/fog. They sound the same!
Usually, we say 'I missed my Uber' or 'My Uber left'.
Then you didn't miss it! You would say 'The bus didn't show up' or 'The bus was cancelled'.
No, it's a neutral, everyday phrase.
Frases relacionadas
Miss the boat
synonymTo miss an opportunity.
Catch the bus
contrastTo arrive on time and get on the bus.
Miss a connection
similarTo be late for a second bus or train after the first one was delayed.
The ship has sailed
similarThe opportunity is completely gone.
