¿está listo?
In Spanish, "is it ready?" is translated as ¿está listo?
This phrase is used to ask if a person or an object is prepared for something. It utilizes the verb estar because being ready is viewed as a temporary state or condition rather than a permanent characteristic.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries, ¿Está preparado/a? is used as an alternative to ¿Está listo/a?
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the adjective changes based on the gender of the object you are referring to. Use the masculine form ¿está listo? if the object is a masculine noun, such as el informe (the report). Use the feminine form ¿está lista? if the object is a feminine noun, such as la comida (the food).
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to say es listo when you mean someone is prepared. While está listo means "is ready", es listo means "is smart" or "is clever".
Did you know?
- The word listo is a cognate of the Maltese word lest, which also means 'ready'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, ¡Listo! is used as a standalone exclamation to mean 'Done!' or 'Finished!' once a task is completed.
Examples in context
- ¿Está listo el informe?Is the report ready?
- ¿Está lista la presentación?Is the presentation ready?
- ¿Ya está la cena?Is dinner ready yet?
- ¿Listo el café?Is the coffee ready?
- ¿Lista la comida?Is the food ready?
- ¿El tren ya está listo?Is the train ready yet?
- El paquete, ¿está listo?The package, is it ready?
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía are getting ready to leave the house.
- MateoSofía, ¿está listo tu abrigo?Sofía, is your coat ready?
- SofíaSí, ya lo tengo aquí.Yes, I have it here already.
- Mateo¿Y el coche? ¿está listo?And the car? Is it ready?
- SofíaSí, podemos irnos ya.Yes, we can leave now.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries listo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
