¿estás afuera?
The English phrase "are you outside?" is translated into Spanish as ¿estás afuera?
This phrase is used to ask whether a person is currently located outdoors or outside of a building.
Which one should you use?
While ¿estás afuera? is common, you may also see ¿Estás fuera? used as an informal way to ask the same question.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries, such as Mexico, Colombia and Venezuela, it is common to ask this using ¿Andas afuera?
How does it change in a sentence?
When addressing someone formally using the usted form, use ¿está afuera? instead of the informal ¿estás afuera? If you are asking a group of people if they are outside, use the plural form ¿están afuera?
Did you know?
- The word fuera is used in the common idiom estoy fuera de mí, which means to be 'out of one's mind' or extremely angry.
- The English word 'forum', used for an outdoor public square, shares the same ancient linguistic roots as the Spanish word afuera.
- In Spanish, the distinction between afuera and fuera can vary by region. Some speakers in Spain almost exclusively use fuera for both meaning 'outside' and 'away', while Latin American speakers frequently prefer afuera.
Examples in context
- Disculpe señor, ¿está usted afuera?Excuse me, sir, are you outside?
- Señora, ¿se encuentra afuera?Madam, are you outside?
- ¡Hola Juan! ¿Estás afuera?Hi Juan! Are you outside?
- Oye, ¿estás fuera?Hey, are you outside?
- Sí, estoy afuera.Yes, I am outside.
- No te veo, ¿estás afuera?I don't see you, are you outside?
- Llamo a la puerta, ¿estás afuera?I'm knocking on the door, are you outside?
Example conversation
Javier is calling Lucía to find her at a party.
- JavierHola Lucía, ¿estás afuera?Hi Lucía, are you outside?
- LucíaSí, estoy en el jardín.Yes, I am in the garden.
- JavierPerfecto, voy hacia allá.Perfect, I'm going there.
- LucíaEstá bien, te espero aquí.Alright, I'll wait for you here.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries afuera, CC BY-SA 4.0.
