German Phrase
Nachts fahren die Busse seltener.
Meaning
The sentence states that buses run less often during the night than they do during the day. It uses the comparative adverb ‘seltener’ to express a reduced frequency.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to explain night‑time public‑transport schedules, answer a travel‑related question, or compare day‑time and night‑time service frequencies.
✦Grammar Breakdown
NachtsfahrendieBusseseltener
Nachts (adverb of time)
Placed at the beginning of the sentence, it tells when something happens – here, during the night.
fahren (present, 3rd person plural)
Regular verb ‘fahren’ conjugated for a plural subject; the ending –en matches ‘die Busse’.
die Busse (plural noun with definite article)
‘Busse’ is the plural of ‘der Bus’; the article ‘die’ signals nominative plural.
seltener (comparative adverb)
Comparative form of ‘selten’; used to compare frequency, not quantity.
🗨In Conversation
Wie oft fahren die Busse tagsüber?
How often do the buses run during the day?
Nachts fahren die Busse seltener.
At night the buses run less frequently.
✕Common Mistakes
Nachts fahren die Busse weniger.
‘Weniger’ modifies nouns; for frequency you need the comparative adverb ‘seltener’.
Nachts fährt die Busse seltener.
The verb must agree with the plural subject ‘die Busse’.
Nachts fahren Busse seltener.
Omitting the article sounds unnatural; the definite article is required in this statement.
↔Alternatives
Nachts kommen die Busse seltener.
At night the buses come less often.
In der Nacht fahren die Busse weniger oft.
At night the buses run less often.
Abends fahren die Busse seltener.
In the evenings the buses run less frequently.
Cultural Tip
Most German cities keep a reduced night‑bus service (often marked with an ‘N’ line). ‘Seltener’ is the natural way to talk about how often something happens; avoid using ‘weniger’, which modifies countable nouns, not frequency. Also remember that the verb must stay plural – ‘fahren’, not ‘fährt’, when the subject is ‘die Busse’.