estatura
/estatuɾa/from spelling rules
In Spanish, the phrase for "how tall someone is" is estatura.
The word estatura refers to the measurement of a person's height from head to foot. In formal contexts, such as on medical forms or official documents, you will often see it used with the definite article as la estatura.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Regional variations exist for asking about height: in Spain, people may use the phrase ¿Cuánto mides de altura? to refer specifically to height, while in Argentina, the phrase ¿Cuánto medís? is a common local variation.
How does it change in a sentence?
When discussing how tall someone is, Spanish speakers typically use the verb medir (to measure) instead of using the verb ser (to be). For example, the form mide is used to mean "measures" or "is (tall)".
How do you pronounce it?
/estatuɾa/
Did you know?
- The word estatura shares an ancestor with the English word 'statue', as both come from the Latin 'stare', meaning 'to stand'.
- When discussing the height of inanimate objects or plants, Spanish speakers often switch from estatura to the word altura.
- Spanish speakers use estatura metaphorically to describe the 'caliber' or moral standing of a person's character and ideas.
Examples in context
- Uno de mis amigos mide alrededor de 1.80 metros.One of my friends is about 1.80 meters tall.
- Mi profesor es bastante alto, debe medir más de 1.90 metros.My teacher is quite tall, he must be over 1.90 meters tall.
- En mi familia, todos somos bajitos, ninguno mide más de 1.60 metros.In my family, we are all short, nobody is taller than 1.60 meters.
- ¿Cuánto mide?How tall is he/she?
- No conozco su estatura exacta.I don't know his exact height.
- ¿Cuál es la estatura de la modelo?What is the model's height?
- Su estatura es impresionante.His height is impressive.
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are filling out forms at a gym.
- LucíaJavier, ¿tienes que poner tu estatura aquí?Javier, do you have to put your height here?
- JavierSí, dice que es necesaria para el equipo.Yes, it says it is necessary for the equipment.
- LucíaYo no recuerdo mi estatura exacta.I don't remember my exact height.
- JavierPuedes usar la cinta que está en la pared.You can use the tape that is on the wall.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries estatura, CC BY-SA 4.0.
