A user station for a bus system and a method for transmitting a message at different bit rates in a bus system. The user station includes a transmitting stage for transmitting a message on a bus line of the bus system. The transmitting stage switches between a first operating mode and a second operating mode when transmitting different phases of a message. The transmitting stage, in the first operating mode, generates a first data state as a bus state having different bus levels for two bus wires of the bus line, and generates a second data state as a bus state having the same bus level for the two bus wires of the bus line. The transmitting stage, in the second operating mode, generates the first and second data state in each case as a bus state having different bus levels for the two bus wires of the bus line.