What does it mean word for word?
The phrase le tengo miedo a las alturas literally translates to 'to them/him/her I have fear to the heights', reflecting the Spanish structure of 'having fear' toward an object.
Which one should you use?
While le tengo miedo a las alturas is a standard way to express this, you can also use me dan miedo las alturas, which means 'heights give me fear'. If you want to express a more intense version, you can say Le tengo pánico a las alturas to mean 'I am terrified of heights' or Me da miedo estar en alturas to say 'Being in high places scares me'. For a more idiomatic or descriptive approach, Las alturas me ponen los pelos de punta translates to 'Heights give me goosebumps'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In many Spanish-speaking contexts, it is common to say tengo vértigo to mean 'I have vertigo' or 'I am afraid of heights'.
Did you know?
- The Spanish word for fear, miedo, shares a common ancestor with the English word 'meticulous', as both stem from the Latin 'metus'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, vértigo is used as a common synonym for a fear of heights in casual conversation, regardless of whether the person has a medical inner-ear condition.
- To describe the physical sensation of being terrified by a height, you can use the idiom me pone los pelos de punta, meaning 'it puts my hairs on end'.
Examples in context
- No quiero subir al mirador porque le tengo miedo a las alturas.I don't want to go up to the viewpoint because I am afraid of heights.
- Es difícil para mí, le tengo miedo a las alturas.It is difficult for me, I am afraid of heights.
- Prefiero caminar por el suelo, le tengo miedo a las alturas.I prefer to walk on the ground, I am afraid of heights.
Example conversation
Alejandro and Sofía are standing at the edge of a balcony.
- AlejandroSofía, ¿te acercas un poco más al borde?Sofía, will you come a little closer to the edge?
- SofíaNo, Alejandro, le tengo miedo a las alturas.No, Alejandro, I am afraid of heights.
- AlejandroEntiendo, podemos alejarnos de la barandilla.I understand, we can move away from the railing.
- SofíaGracias, me siento mucho más segura así.Thank you, I feel much safer this way.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, las, le, miedo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
