estar atento a
/estaɾ atento a/from spelling rules
The English phrase "watch for" can be translated into Spanish as estar atento a.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase translates to "to be attentive to".
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective atento must agree in gender with the person who is watching. Use estar atento a for a male, estar atenta a for a female, estar atentos a for a masculine or mixed-gender group and estar atentas a for a group of females.
How do you pronounce it?
/estaɾ atento a/
Did you know?
- The word atento is used in the formal greeting atentamente, which is the standard Spanish equivalent to 'sincerely' or 'yours truly' at the end of a letter.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, a person who is being 'atento' is also seen as being 'polite' or 'courteous', as 'atención' can mean both 'attention' and 'politeness'.
- The verb estar shares a common ancestor with the English word 'state', both originating from the Latin 'stare', meaning 'to stand'.
Examples in context
- Por favor, esté atento a cualquier cambio en el itinerario de vuelo.Please watch for any changes in the flight itinerary.
- El conductor debe estar atento a las señales de tránsito.The driver should watch for traffic signs.
- Echa un ojo a mi mochila mientras estoy fuera, por favor.Watch my backpack while I'm away, please.
- Échale un ojo a la comida mientras yo atiendo a los invitados.Watch the food while I attend to the guests.
- ¡Ojo con los perros en la calle!Watch out for the dogs on the street!
- ¡Ojo con ese escalón, es resbaladizo!Watch out for that step, it's slippery!
- Debes estar atento a los cambios de clima.You should watch for changes in the weather.
- Estar atento a los correos electrónicos es importante.Watching for emails is important.
- Estar atento a los obstáculos en el camino.Watch for obstacles on the path.
Example conversation
Two friends are hiking in a forest.
- MaríaJavier, debes estar atento a las señales del sendero.Javier, you must watch for the trail signs.
- JavierSí, María, no quiero perdernos.Yes, María, I don't want us to get lost.
- MaríaEs mejor estar atento a cada detalle.It is better to watch for every detail.
- JavierTienes razón, iré con mucho cuidado.You are right, I will go very carefully.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, atento, estar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
