Spanish · Emotions & Descriptions
"Ready" in Spanish: listo/a
listo/a
Ready in Spanish is listo or lista. Say Estoy listo. Ella está lista. Listo can also mean clever—tone and context decide.
Leaving home
Estoy listo. ¿Salimos?Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce listo/a
Say it
LEES-toh / LEES-tah
/ˈlis.to/, /ˈlis.ta/
LEES-toh / LEES-tah. Stress LEES.
"Ready" in Spanish: quick reference
| Spanish | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| listo | ready (masc.) / clever With estar for ready. | With estar for ready. |
| lista | ready (fem.) / clever Feminine form. | Feminine form. |
| estoy listo/a | I’m ready Leaving, starting, serving. | Leaving, starting, serving. |
| ¿estás listo/a? | are you ready? Check-in before going. | Check-in before going. |
How to use listo/a in real life
- 1Leaving home
Estoy listo. ¿Salimos?
I’m ready. Shall we leave?
Estoy listo = ready now.
- 2Friend waiting
Ana ya está lista para el bus.
Ana is already ready for the bus.
Lista agrees with Ana.
- 3Kitchen
La cena está lista.
Dinner is ready.
Lista with cena.
Mistakes English speakers make with listo/a
Incorrect: Ella está listo.
Correct: Ella está lista.
Agree gender: lista with ella.
Incorrect: Estoy ready.
Correct: Estoy listo. / Estoy lista.
Use listo/lista, not English ready.
Good to know
Listo/a with estar means ready. In Latin America, ¡qué listo! can praise cleverness—smile decides if it teases. For food, la cena está lista is everyday.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Leaving for a movie
ChatPal
¿Estás listo? El uber llega.
Are you ready? The Uber is arriving.
You
Listo. Traigo las entradas.
Ready. I’ve got the tickets.
ChatPal
Perfecto. Yo también estoy listo.
Perfect. I’m ready too.
You
Vamos antes de la fila.
Let’s go before the line.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Ready" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Ready" in Spanish
How does gender work?
Listo (m.), lista (f.), plurals listos / listas.
Ser or estar?
Estar + listo for being ready now.
Can listo mean clever?
Yes. Tone decides if ¡qué listo! praises or teases.
Dinner is ready?
La cena está lista.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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