¿Cuánto mides?
The English phrase "how tall are you?" is translated into Spanish as ¿Cuánto mides?
This phrase is used to ask someone about their height.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ¿Cuánto mides? literally translates to "How much do you measure?"
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, an alternative way to ask this is by using the phrase ¿Cuánto mides de alto?
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the verb changes depending on who you are addressing: use ¿Cuánto mide? for a formal singular address, and use ¿Cuánto miden? when asking more than one person about their height.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use ¿Qué tan alto eres? because it follows English word order, but ¿Cuánto mides? is the natural way to ask in Spanish.
Did you know?
- The root of cuánto is also found in the Sanskrit word 'kiyat', showing a deep linguistic link between Spanish and ancient Indian languages.
- Spanish speakers rarely use feet and inches, instead using the metric system. If you answer ¿Cuánto mides? in feet, you may be asked to clarify in centímetros.
- The verb medir is also used for the size of objects, such as a room or a piece of fabric. In English, we distinguish between 'how tall' a person is and 'how long' a table is, but Spanish uses cuánto mide for both.
Examples in context
- ¿Cuánto mides de estatura?How tall are you?
- Tienes una estatura imponente. ¿Cuánto mides exactamente?You have an impressive height. How tall are you exactly?
Example conversation
Sofía and Daniel are comparing their heights.
- SofíaYo soy alta, ¿y tú? ¿Cuánto mides?I am tall, and you? How tall are you?
- DanielMido un metro ochenta.I am one meter eighty.
- Sofía¡Guau! Eres muy alto, Daniel.Wow! You are very tall, Daniel.
- DanielSí, soy el más alto de mi familia.Yes, I am the tallest in my family.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cuánto, CC BY-SA 4.0.
