Which one should you use?
The forms differ based on the gender and number of the person being addressed, as well as the level of formality. Use ¿Estás listo? for a male and ¿Estás lista? for a female. Use ¿Están listos? when asking a group of people if they are ready.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries, especially Mexico, it is common to add ya before asking the question, resulting in ¿Ya estás listo/a? In some regions, people may extend the question by asking if the person is ready for what is coming next: ¿Listo/a para lo que se te viene?
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the verb estar because being ready is considered a temporary state rather than a permanent characteristic. If you are speaking to a woman, you must change the adjective to the feminine form lista. To ask a group of people if they are ready, use the plural form ¿Están listos?
When do people say it?
A common way to respond to this question is Sí, estoy listo if you are male or Sí, estoy lista if you are female.
Did you know?
- The Spanish listo is a cognate of the Maltese word lest, which also means 'ready'.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, the word listo can be used as a standalone exclamation to signal that a task is finished or a deal is closed.
- If you describe someone as muy listo using the verb ser, you might be implying they are 'cunning' or 'sly' in a negative sense.
Examples in context
- Todo está en el coche, ¿estás listo?Everything is in the car, are you ready?
- La clase va a empezar, ¿estás listo?The class is going to start, are you ready?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries listo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
