listos o no
/listos o no/from spelling rules
The English phrase "ready or not" is translated into Spanish as listos o no.
This phrase is used to announce that something will happen regardless of whether the other person is prepared. You might use informal variations such as Preparado o no, allá voy or Listo o no, ahí voy to mean "Ready or not, here I come!"
What does it mean word for word?
The word listos means "ready" (plural), o means "or" and no means "not".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries, Listo o no, ahí voy is an informal alternative to preparado o no.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are addressing a single male, the phrase changes to listo o no. If you are addressing a single female, the phrase changes to lista o no. If you are addressing a group of only females, the phrase changes to listas o no.
How do you pronounce it?
/listos o no/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the word listos can also mean 'smart' or 'clever', meaning 'ready or not' can phonetically imply 'clever or not'.
- In some regions, listo is used as a filler word similar to 'done' or 'okay' to signal the end of a task. A person might say ¡Listo! to indicate they have finished a job, even if they were not 'preparing' for anything.
- While listos o no is used for Hide and Seek, the specific phrase allá voy translates to 'there I go' rather than 'here I come'.
Examples in context
- ¡Listo o no, ahí voy!Ready or not, here I come!
- Dispuesto o no, acá voy a enfrentar cualquier desafío.Ready or not, here I come to face any challenge.
- Listos o no, la excursión comienza ahora.Ready or not, the excursion starts now.
- Listos o no, el examen será hoy.Ready or not, the exam is today.
- Ya vamos a salir, listos o no.We are leaving now, ready or not.
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are playing hide and seek at a house party.
- Daniel¡Listos o no, allá voy!Ready or not, here I come!
- Elena¡No nos vas a encontrar, Daniel!You won't find us, Daniel!
- DanielYa te encontré, Elena.I already found you, Elena.
- Elena¡Qué suerte tienes!You are so lucky!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
