Learn Spanish (Latin America): ¿Están listos? Sí, lo están.

¿Están listos? Sí, lo están.

Are you all ready? Yes, we are.

Breakdown of ¿Están listos? Sí, lo están.

estar

to be (location/state)

listo

ready

it / him (direct object)

sí

yes

Questions & Answers about ¿Están listos? Sí, lo están.

Wait, the translation says "Yes, we are", but doesn't están mean "they are" or "you all are"?

You caught a mismatch! Están means "they are" or "you all are". If a group is answering for themselves ("Yes, we are"), the Spanish should actually be Sí, lo estamos. The Spanish sentence given literally translates to "Are you all/they ready? Yes, you all/they are."

Why is lo used in the answer Sí, lo están?

When replying to a question that uses a linking verb (like ser, estar, or parecer) and an adjective, Spanish uses the neuter pronoun lo to replace the adjective. It functions a bit like "so" in the English phrase "I think so," standing in for listos so you don't have to repeat it.

Since listos is plural, shouldn't the pronoun be plural too (los están)?

No, when lo is used this way to replace an adjective, it is completely invariable. It never changes to match gender or number, so it will always remain lo, even if the adjective it replaces is plural or feminine.

Could I just say "Sí, están" to mean "Yes, they are"?

No, that sounds incomplete to a Spanish speaker. Unlike English, where we can end a sentence with a bare "to be" verb ("Yes, they are"), Spanish requires you to either use the replacement pronoun lo (Sí, lo están) or repeat the adjective entirely (Sí, están listos).