Learn Spanish (Latin America): Ellas están listas ahora.

Ellas están listas ahora.

They are ready now.

Breakdown of Ellas están listas ahora.

ellas

they (feminine)

estar

to be (location/state)

Questions & Answers about Ellas están listas ahora.

Why do we use están here instead of son?

We use están (from estar) to talk about temporary states and conditions, like being ready. If you use son (from ser) with this specific word, it changes the meaning completely! Ellas están listas means "They are ready," but Ellas son listas means "They are smart" or "They are clever."

Why is it listas instead of listo?

In Spanish, adjectives have to match the gender and number of who or what they are describing. Because ellas (referring to a group of females) is feminine and plural, the base adjective listo must change to its feminine plural form, listas.

Is it okay to drop ellas and just say Están listas ahora?

Yes! In Spanish, you can often leave out subject pronouns like ellas. The verb están tells us the subject is "they" or "you all", and the feminine adjective listas makes it clear we are talking about a group of females. You only need to include ellas if you want to emphasize it or avoid confusion.

How is the double L in ellas pronounced?