Spanish word of the week: listo

This week’s Spanish word of the week is listo.

Listo is an adjective that means bright, smart; ready. To hear how listo is pronounced, you can click the icon below:

Getting to know when to use ser and when estar can take a bit of practice. Listo is a good case of the difference your choice can make.

Es un chico muy listo. He’s a very bright boy.
Es la más lista de la clase. She’s the smartest girl in the class.

But when you use it with the verb estar it means ready:

¿Están listos? Are you ready?
Todo está ya listo para la expedición. Everything’s already ready for the expedition.

Used with estar it also has a third meaning, finished:

El trabajo tendrá que estar listo para mañana. The job will have to be finished by tomorrow.

Come back next week to learn a new word!