él es alto
/el es alto/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'he is tall' is translated into Spanish as él es alto.
This phrase is used to describe a male person who has a great height. In Spanish, the adjective alto should be placed after the verb es to express this.
Which one should you use?
Using the verb es implies that being tall is a defining characteristic of the person, rather than a temporary state.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries, the phrase Él es alto como un ciprés (He is tall like a cypress) or Él es alto como un poste de luz (He is tall like a streetlight) may be used.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective alto must agree in gender with the subject. Use alto for a male and alta for a female. To change the phrase to the plural 'they are tall', both the pronoun and the verb must change to ellos son altos.
How do you pronounce it?
/el es alto/
Did you know?
Examples in context
- Él es alto y fuerte.He is tall and strong.This sentence uses él es alto to describe someone who is both tall and strong.Tatoeba #4151394 by Leono, translation #302409 by CK
- Él es alto, y ella es alta también.He is tall, and she is tall, too.This sentence uses él es alto to compare a male's height to a female's height.Tatoeba #482497 by Eckhardtgabriel, translation #302405 by sundown
- Él es alto, pero su hermano es mucho más alto.He is tall, but his brother is much taller.This sentence uses él es alto to contrast a person's height with his brother's height.Tatoeba #720350 by Shishir, translation #302403 by CS
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Javier are looking at a photo of a basketball player.
- Javier¿Viste a ese jugador?Did you see that player?
- ElenaSí, él es alto.Yes, he is tall.
- JavierEs un atleta increíble.He is an incredible athlete.
- ElenaTienes razón, Javier.You are right, Javier.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries alto, es, él, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
