What it means
مینیبوس (minibus) is a direct loanword from English, referring to a small bus that carries fewer passengers than a standard اتوبوس (otobus). In Iran, minibuses serve fixed urban routes and shuttle passengers between smaller towns and city terminals. They sit between the large city bus and a shared taxi (تاکسی, tâksi) in terms of capacity. The word is written with a half-space between مینی and بوس in standard Persian orthography.
How to use it
- مینیبوس کجا وایمیسته؟ (minibus kojâ vâymisteh?) “Where does the minibus stop?”
- با مینیبوس رفتیم اونجا، ارزونتر بود. (bâ minibus raftim unjâ, arzun-tar bud.) “We went there by minibus, it was cheaper.”
- مینیبوس پر بود، نتونستیم سوار بشیم. (minibus por bud, natunestim savâr beshim.) “The minibus was full, we could not get on.”
- این مسیر فقط مینیبوس داره. (in masir faghat minibus dâre.) “This route only has minibuses.”
Cultural note
Minibuses fill an important gap in Iranian public transport, especially in smaller cities and on routes not covered by the main bus network. They are often privately operated and may not follow a strict timetable. Passengers typically pay the driver or an assistant directly on board. In some cities, minibuses have been gradually replaced by larger articulated buses, but they remain very common in provincial towns.