marcha
/ˈmaɾt͡ʃa/
The Spanish phrase for "order up" is marcha.
In a professional kitchen setting, shouting marcha! is the standard way to signal that a dish is ready to go out to the dining area.
Which one should you use?
While marcha is used as a standalone command, you can also say ¡Marcha un plato! to specify that a single dish is ready. In non-professional or more casual contexts, you might say ¡Pedidos para llevar listos! to mean "Takeout orders ready!" or ¡Pedidos listos! to simply mean "Orders ready!"
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries, such as Mexico, Colombia and Argentina, the phrase ¡Pedidos listos! is used to convey "Orders ready!"
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmaɾtʃa/
Did you know?
- Beyond the kitchen, marcha is commonly used to describe the 'gear' of a car, such as primera marcha for first gear.
- The word marcha is a deverbal noun, meaning it is a noun derived from the verb marchar, which means 'to walk' or 'to move'.
- If you use the word marcha in a non-kitchen setting, you are likely referring to a military march or a rhythmic movement, rather than a completed task.
Examples in context
- El pedido está listo, señora Rodríguez.The order is ready, Mrs. Rodríguez.
- ¡Orden lista! ¡Ya pueden llevarla!Order ready! You can take it now!
- ¡Marcha la hamburguesa con queso!Order up, the cheeseburger!
- ¡Marcha dos ensaladas para la mesa cinco!Order up, two salads for table five!
Example conversation
A busy restaurant kitchen during the lunch rush.
- Elena¡Marcha la pasta carbonara!Order up, the pasta carbonara!
- Javier¡Entendido, Elena! La llevo ahora mismo.Got it, Elena! I'll take it right away.
- Elena¡Gracias, Javier! La mesa cuatro tiene mucha prisa.Thanks, Javier! Table four is in a big hurry.
- JavierNo te preocupes, saldrá de inmediato.Don't worry, it'll be out immediately.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry marcha, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries marcha, CC BY-SA 4.0.
