Spanish Phrase
El agua ya está hirviendo.
Meaning
Literally, “The water is already boiling.” The adverb ya adds the nuance that the water has reached the boiling point sooner than expected or that the speaker has been waiting for it.
When to use
Use this sentence in the kitchen when you need to tell someone that the water has reached a rolling boil – for example before adding pasta, rice, or vegetables. It can also be used figuratively to say a situation is heating up quickly.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Elaguayaestáhirviendo
Definite article (El)
El is the masculine singular definite article used before a masculine noun like agua (which is feminine but takes el to avoid the vowel clash).
Noun (agua)
Agua is a feminine noun meaning “water”. It takes the article el in the singular when preceded by a stressed vowel.
Adverb (ya)
Ya means “already” and signals that the action has happened earlier than expected.
Verb estar + gerund
Estar is used with a gerund to describe a temporary, ongoing state – here, the water is in the process of boiling.
Gerund (hirviendo)
Hirviendo is the gerund form of hervir (to boil). It functions like the English “boiling”.
🗨In Conversation
¿El agua ya está hirviendo?
Is the water already boiling?
Sí, ya está lista para la pasta.
Yes, it’s ready for the pasta.
✕Common Mistakes
El agua ya es hirviendo.
Ser is not used for temporary states; you need estar.
El agua ya está hervido.
Hervido is the past participle, not the gerund. Use hirviendo for an ongoing action.
Ya está hirviendo el agua.
Word order is acceptable but less common; keep the subject before the verb for natural flow.
↔Alternatives
El agua ya hierve.
The water already boils.
El agua está a punto de hervir.
The water is about to boil.
Ya está el agua hirviendo.
The water is already boiling.
Cultural Tip
In many Spanish‑speaking households, checking that the water is “ya está hirviendo” is a cue to start cooking the main dish. The word ya is often used in the kitchen to signal that a step is completed, so saying it with confidence helps you sound natural and in sync with native speakers.