la cena está lista
/la θena esta lista/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "dinner is done" is expressed as la cena está lista.
This phrase is used to announce that the evening meal has been prepared and is ready to be eaten.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "the dinner is ready".
Which one should you use?
The phrase literally translates to 'the dinner is ready' rather than 'the dinner is finished'.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase la cena está lista, the adjective lista must be feminine to agree with the feminine noun la cena.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the evening meal la cena is traditionally eaten much later than in English-speaking countries, often between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m.
- While the phrase uses lista to mean 'ready', the same word can also mean 'smart' or 'clever' depending on the context of the conversation.
- The word lista shares an unexpected root with the English word 'list', both tracing back to Germanic origins describing a border or edge.
Examples in context
- ¡La cena está lista! Vengan a comer.Dinner is ready! Come eat.
- ¡Ven a la mesa, la cena está lista!Come to the table, dinner is done!
- La cena está lista, todo está en la mesa.Dinner is done, everything is on the table.
Example conversation
In a dining room at a house in the evening.
- Sofía¡Alejandro, la cena está lista!Alejandro, dinner is done!
- Alejandro¡Qué bien! Ya voy para allá.Great! I'm coming now.
- Sofía¿Tienes hambre, mi amor?Are you hungry, my love?
- AlejandroSí, tengo mucha hambre.Yes, I am very hungry.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cena, la, lista, CC BY-SA 4.0.
