¿está lista la comida?
In Spanish, "is the food ready?" is said as ¿está lista la comida?
This phrase is a question used to ask if a meal has been prepared and is available to eat.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the verb estar (to be), the adjective lista (ready) and the noun la comida (the food).
Which one should you use?
The verb estar is used here because ready describes a temporary state of being rather than an inherent characteristic of the food.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can change the word order from the question ¿está lista la comida? to the statement la comida está lista without changing the meaning of the words. Additionally, if you use a plural noun like los alimentos (the foods/provisions) instead of la comida, the verb and adjective must also become plural, resulting in ¿están listos los alimentos?
Did you know?
- If you describe a person as lista instead of the food, you are not saying they are 'ready', but that they are 'smart' or 'clever'.
- The word comida refers to 'food' generally, but in Spain and Mexico it specifically refers to the main meal of the day, which is typically eaten between 2 PM and 4 PM.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, asking ¿está lista la comida? might be seen as slightly impatient if said too soon, as meal times are often social events rather than strict schedules.
Examples in context
- Disculpe, ¿podría decirme si la comida está lista?Excuse me, could you tell me if the food is ready?
- ¿La comida está lista ya o falta algo?Is the food ready now, or is something missing?
- Oye, ¿se puede saber si la comida está lista?Hey, can you let me know if the food is ready?
- ¿Está lista la pizza vegetariana?Is the vegetarian pizza ready?
- Disculpe, ¿podría decirme si nuestra orden está lista?Excuse me, could you please let me know if our order is ready?
- ¿Ya está lista la comida?Is the food ready already?
- Perdón, ¿está lista la comida?Excuse me, is the food ready?
- Mamá, ¿está lista la comida?Mom, is the food ready?
