preparándose
/pɾepaɾandose/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "getting ready" is translated as preparándose.
The phrase describes the act of preparing oneself, such as dressing or grooming, before going somewhere.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In many Latin American countries, alistándose is a common alternative to preparándose when meaning to get oneself ready for an activity or departure.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form preparándose is a gerund (present participle) with the reflexive pronoun se attached to the end. The infinitive form of this phrase is prepararse, which is a reflexive verb. When you want to say "I am getting ready", you use the reflexive pronoun me with the verb preparar, as in me estoy preparando. Alternatively, the reflexive pronoun can be placed before the conjugated verb, such as in se está preparando to mean "he/she is getting ready".
How do you pronounce it?
/pɾepaɾandose/
Did you know?
- While prepararse is universal, the alternative alistarse comes from the word listo, meaning 'ready'. In some regions, saying estoy listo can be ambiguous because it can mean 'I am ready' or 'I am clever'.
- The phrase alistarse can be a false friend in a professional context, as it can mean to 'enlist' or 'join the army'.
- If you are getting ready to go out for a party, you might use the slang term arreglarse, which implies not just preparing, but specifically 'fixing' or 'arranging' your appearance.
Examples in context
- Ella está preparándose para la fiesta.She is getting ready for the party.
- Él sigue preparándose para la cita.He is still getting ready for the date.
Example conversation
María and Mateo are talking in the living room before a dinner date.
- María¿Ya estás listo, Mateo?Are you ready yet, Mateo?
- MateoNo, todavía estoy preparándose.No, I am still getting ready.
- MaríaDate prisa, que vamos tarde.Hurry up, we are running late.
- MateoYa casi termino, dame cinco minutos.I'm almost finished, give me five minutes.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
