juntosSoy listo, soy lista: clever, not ready (ready is estoy listo)
Shout soy listo when your friends are waiting at the door and you've told them you're a genius.
Listo is one of a handful of adjectives that change meaning with the verb. With ser it describes what someone is like: es muy lista means she's very clever. With estar it describes a state right now: está lista means she's ready. Same word, two different sentences.
The rule behind it: ser for characteristics, estar for conditions. Being clever is part of who you are. Being ready is how things stand at this moment, and it'll change in an hour. The same logic makes soy aburrido (I'm boring) different from estoy aburrido (I'm bored).
Watch the agreement too: listo for a man, lista for a woman, listos for a group. And ¿Estás listo? or just ¿Listos? is how you'll hear people check you're ready to go.
Try your own sentence
Type any Spanish sentence and the Juntos tutor grades it out of 100, names the slip and shows the fix. No account.
Also worth knowing
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¿Están listos? Ya nos vamos. | Are you ready? We're leaving. |
| La comida está lista. | The food is ready. |
| Tu hermana es muy lista. | Your sister is very clever. |
Think you would catch slips like this one in the moment? Play Spot the slip, a ten-round quiz built from every slip on this site.
Every answer graded, with the fix and why
Grammar, reading, speaking and messaging in one Spanish program, A1 to C1. The tutor catches slips like this one before a person hears them. 7 days free, no card.
Start your free trialQuestions people ask
What is the difference between soy listo and estoy listo?
Soy listo means I'm clever. Estoy listo means I'm ready. Ser describes what you are like, estar how things are right now.
How do you say I'm ready in Spanish?
Estoy listo, or estoy lista for a woman. Ya estoy listo means I'm ready now. For a group: estamos listos.
Which other adjectives change meaning with ser and estar?
Aburrido (boring or bored), rico (rich or tasty), verde (green or unripe) and malo (bad, or ill in many places) are the common ones.
More from Juntos: free Spanish grammar checker · Spanish spell and accent checker · AI Spanish tutor · practice Spanish with friends · Spanish games · all grammar courses · all practice scenarios · common Spanish mistakes · Spanish false friends · Spot the slip quiz · Spanish verb conjugations · verb conjugator · best AI Spanish tutors compared · Duolingo alternatives · about Juntos · home