El quemador está listo, así que estamos por ascender.
The burner is ready, so we are about to ascend.
Breakdown of El quemador está listo, así que estamos por ascender.
estar
to be (location/state)
listo
ready
por
for / by / through / in/during (part of the day)
así que
so (consequence)
el quemador
the burner
ascender
to ascend
Questions & Answers about El quemador está listo, así que estamos por ascender.
What is the difference between saying "estamos por ascender" and "vamos a ascender"?
Estamos por ascender specifically means "we are about to ascend" or "we are on the verge of ascending." It emphasizes that the action is imminent, which is the focus of this lesson. In contrast, vamos a ascender just means "we are going to ascend," which could happen right now, later today, or even next week.
I've heard that "estar para" can also mean "about to." Can we say "estamos para ascender" here?
You will sometimes hear estar para used for imminent actions in Spain, but in Latin America, estar por + infinitive is the standard way to express "about to." In Latin America, estar para is usually reserved for expressing being in the mood for something, like saying no estoy para bromas (I am not in the mood for jokes).
Why is "está" used with "listo" instead of "es"?
Is "así que" the only way to say "so" in this context?
Así que is a very natural and common conjunction for "so" when connecting a cause (the burner is ready) to a direct consequence (we are about to ascend). You could also use por lo tanto (therefore) or entonces (so/then), but así que is perfect for everyday conversation here.
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