Esperaremos a menos que la cabina audiométrica esté lista.

A menos que means unless.

So:

• Esperaremos = we will wait
• a menos que = unless
• la cabina audiométrica esté lista = the audiometric booth is ready

A useful way to remember it is that a menos que introduces an exception:

• Esperaremos = we will wait
• ...a menos que... = ...except if / unless...

It is one of the most common ways to say unless in Spanish.

Because a menos que normally requires the subjunctive.

So after a menos que, Spanish uses the subjunctive to talk about something that is uncertain, hypothetical, or not yet confirmed.

That is why you get:

• está = indicative
• esté = subjunctive

In this sentence, the booth being ready is not being presented as a fact. It is a possible condition, so Spanish uses:

• a menos que ... esté lista

not

• a menos que ... está lista

In normal usage, yes. It is one of the standard conjunctions that is followed by the subjunctive.

Examples:

• Iremos a menos que llueva. = We’ll go unless it rains.
• No salgas a menos que sea necesario. = Don’t go out unless it’s necessary.
• Esperaremos a menos que la cabina audiométrica esté lista.

So if you see a menos que, you should strongly expect a subjunctive verb afterward.

Esperaremos is the simple future tense of esperar.

It comes from:

• esperar = to wait / to hope, depending on context

Conjugation here:

• nosotros/nosotras esperaremos = we will wait

This sentence is talking about a future action, so the future tense fits naturally.

Yes. In everyday Spanish, especially in conversation, ir a + infinitive is very common.

So these are both possible:

• Esperaremos a menos que la cabina audiométrica esté lista.
• Vamos a esperar a menos que la cabina audiométrica esté lista.

The difference is mostly style and tone:

• esperaremos sounds a bit more compact and sometimes slightly more formal or neutral
• vamos a esperar sounds very natural in speech and a little more immediate

Both would be understood throughout Latin America.

Because lista is an adjective that agrees with la cabina, which is a feminine singular noun.

Agreement in Spanish:

• masculine singular: listo
• feminine singular: lista
• masculine plural: listos
• feminine plural: listas

Since cabina is feminine:

• la cabina ... está lista

If the noun were masculine, you would use listo:

• el equipo está listo = the equipment is ready

Because here lista means ready, and in Spanish ready is usually expressed with estar, not ser.

• estar listo/lista = to be ready

Example:

• La sala está lista. = The room is ready.

Be careful: ser listo/lista usually means to be clever / smart, and in some contexts it can even mean sly.

So:

• La cabina está lista = The booth is ready
• La cabina es lista would sound wrong here, because a booth is not being described as clever

A cabina audiométrica is an audiometric booth or sound booth used for hearing tests.

• cabina = booth, cabin, enclosure
• audiométrica = audiometric, related to hearing measurement

So this is specialized medical or clinical vocabulary. You would hear it in contexts like:

• hearing exams
• audiology clinics
• medical testing facilities

A learner does not need to memorize this as a super-common everyday phrase, but it is useful in healthcare settings.

Because it is an adjective modifying cabina, and adjectives usually agree in gender and number with the noun they describe.

Base adjective:

• masculine singular: audiométrico
• feminine singular: audiométrica

So:

• el examen audiométrico
• la cabina audiométrica

This is the same agreement pattern you see with many adjectives in Spanish.

The stress falls on mé because of the written accent:

• au-dio-ME-tri-ca

A rough English-friendly guide would be:

• ow-dyo-MEH-tree-ka

A few pronunciation notes:

• au sounds like ow
• dio is pronounced together, roughly dyo
• mé is the stressed syllable
• ca is a clean ka, not like English kuh

Yes. Esperar can mean both to wait and to hope.

You figure it out from context.

In this sentence, esperaremos clearly means we will wait, because the sentence is about delaying action unless a condition is met.

Compare:

• Esperamos el autobús. = We are waiting for the bus.
• Espero que estés bien. = I hope you’re well.

A useful clue is this:

• esperar + noun / event often means to wait for
• esperar que + clause often means to hope that

But context is always important.

Sometimes they can sound similar in English, but they are not always interchangeable.

• a menos que = unless
• si no often means if not

In many cases, a menos que is the more natural and grammatically correct choice before a conjugated verb in a clause like this one.

So this sentence is best as:

• Esperaremos a menos que la cabina audiométrica esté lista.

Using si no here would usually change the structure or sound less natural.

For learners, the safest rule is:

• Use a menos que + subjunctive for unless

Yes. Spanish often drops subject pronouns when the verb ending already makes the subject clear.

• Esperaremos already tells you the subject is we because of the -emos future ending.

So Spanish does not need to say:

• Nosotros esperaremos...

unless the speaker wants emphasis, contrast, or clarity.

Both are possible, but the version without nosotros is the more normal default:

• Esperaremos a menos que la cabina audiométrica esté lista.