Sei pronto?
/ˈsɛj ˈpron.to/word by word
In Italian, "are you ready?" is expressed as Sei pronto?
Sei pronto? is a common way to ask if someone is prepared to start an activity. You can use it to ask if someone is ready for a specific event, such as a meeting or a party or ready to perform an action, such as leaving.
Which one should you use?
Sei pronto? is used when addressing one person informally, such as a friend, family member or child. If you are addressing a group, you should use the plural form Siete pronti?
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree with the gender and number of the person or people you are addressing. Use Sei pronta? when asking a woman or girl if she is ready. When addressing a group, use Siete pronti? for a mixed group or a group of males and Siete pronte? if the group consists only of females.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈsɛj ˈpron.to/. It has three syllables, with the stress on the first syllable.
When do people say it?
When answering the question Sei pronto?, a male speaker would commonly say Sì, sono pronto (Yes, I am ready), while a female speaker would say Sì, sono pronta.
Did you know?
- While sei pronto? asks if you are prepared, the word pronto is also the standard way to say 'hello' when answering the telephone.
- Describing a person as pronto can be a compliment to their intellect, implying they are 'quick-witted' or 'sharp' in their thinking.
- The English word 'prompt' is a direct linguistic relative of pronto, as both words descend from the Latin 'promptus'.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (sei, pronto) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pronto, sei, CC BY-SA 4.0.
