¿ya está?
The English phrase "is it done?" translates to Spanish as ¿ya está?
You use this question to ask if a task or a process has been completed. It focuses on whether the state of being finished has been achieved.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "already is", where ya means "already" and está means "is".
Which one should you use?
While ¿ya está? focuses on the state of being finished, the alternative ¿Está hecho? focuses more on the act of having been made or constructed.
How does it change in a sentence?
In this phrase, the word ya is used to emphasize that the speaker is asking if the state of completion has been reached.
When do people say it?
A common way to answer this question is to repeat the phrase as a statement: Ya está (It's done).
Did you know?
- If you say Ya está with a specific falling intonation, it can function as an exclamation meaning 'That's enough!' to stop someone from doing something.
- The word ya is a linguistic relative of the French déjà and the Italian già, all originating from the same Latin root iam.
- Depending on the country, ya can sometimes mean 'now' instead of 'already', meaning ¿ya está? could be interpreted as 'is it ready now?'
Examples in context
- ¿Ya está la cena?Is dinner ready?
- ¿Ya está la comida?Is the food ready/done?
Example conversation
Elena is waiting for Alejandro to finish cooking.
- ElenaHuele muy bien, ¿ya está?It smells very good, is it done?
- AlejandroCasi, faltan dos minutos.Almost, two minutes left.
- ElenaPerfecto, voy a poner la mesa.Perfect, I will set the table.
- AlejandroListo, ¡ya está!Ready, it is done!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ya, CC BY-SA 4.0.
