¿Están abiertos?
The English phrase "are you open?" is translated into Spanish as ¿Están abiertos?
This phrase is used to ask if a business or establishment is currently available for customers.
Which one should you use?
While English speakers often use 'Are you open?' to mean 'Is the shop open?', Spanish speakers may use the plural form to address the staff or the singular form to refer to the place.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, one can ask ¿Está abierto? to ask if an establishment is open. In Spain, one can ask ¿Estáis abiertos? to ask if an establishment is open.
How does it change in a sentence?
The default form ¿Están abiertos? uses the plural verb and adjective to refer to the people working at the business or the business itself as a collective entity. The singular form ¿Está abierto? can be used to refer to the establishment itself (it) rather than the people working there.
Did you know?
- If you ask a single person ¿Estás abierto? instead of ¿Está abierto?, you are literally asking if that specific person is physically or emotionally 'open', which can sound quite strange or overly intimate.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, businesses do not just close for the night, but also for a long midday period called the 'siesta', so asking ¿Están abiertos? at 2:00 PM might result in a very different answer than at 10:00 AM.
- The word abierto shares a root with the English word 'aperture', both coming from the Latin word for 'opening'.
Example conversation
Javier and Lucía are standing in front of a store.
- JavierMira el horario. ¿Están abiertos?Look at the schedule. Are they open?
- LucíaSí, Lucía. Dice que sí.Yes, Lucía. It says so.
- JavierVoy a entrar y preguntar: ¿están abiertos?I'm going to go in and ask: are you open?
- LucíaMe parece bien, Javier.That sounds good to me, Javier.
