¿Estás listo para la escuela?
The English phrase 'are you ready for school?' is translated into Spanish as ¿Estás listo para la escuela?
This phrase is a question used to check if someone has finished preparing to go to school.
Which one should you use?
While listo means 'ready' in a general sense, preparado implies a higher degree of preparation or being equipped for a specific task.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are asking a female person, you must change the adjective from listo to lista to form ¿Estás lista para la escuela? To ask a group of people if they are ready, use the plural form están listos instead of the singular estás listo to form ¿Están listos para la escuela?
Did you know?
- The word escuela comes from the Ancient Greek word skholḗ, which originally meant 'leisure' or 'spare time'. It is ironic that a word meaning 'free time' now refers to the place where children go to study.
- Depending on the verb used, listo can change meaning. While estás listo means 'you are ready', saying eres listo means 'you are smart'.
- The word listo is a cognate of the Italian and Portuguese word lesto, which means 'quick' or 'agile'.
Examples in context
- ¿Estás listo para la escuela? ¡Vámonos!Are you ready for school? Let's go!
- Mamá pregunta: ¿Estás listo para la escuela?Mom asks: Are you ready for school?
Example conversation
A parent is waking up their son in the morning.
- Alejandro¡Despierta, Alejandro! ¿Estás listo para la escuela?Wake up, Alejandro! Are you ready for school?
- MaríaNo, todavía tengo mucho sueño.No, I am still very sleepy.
- AlejandroTienes que vestirte rápido.You have to get dressed quickly.
- MaríaEstá bien, ya voy al baño.Okay, I'm going to the bathroom now.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries escuela, la, listo, para, CC BY-SA 4.0.
