baja estatura
/baxa estatuɾa/from spelling rules
The English phrase "short height" is translated into Spanish as baja estatura.
The phrase refers to the quality of being small in stature or not tall. In natural sentences, it is common to use it as a prepositional phrase, de baja estatura, to describe a person, such as Él es de baja estatura (He is of short stature).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adjective baja (low) and the noun estatura (stature/height).
Which one should you use?
While baja estatura is a noun phrase meaning "short height", if you want to describe a person directly as "short", you use the adjective bajo for a man or baja for a woman.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because estatura is a feminine noun, the adjective must be the feminine form baja rather than the masculine bajo.
When do people say it?
Be careful with the term enano(a). While it can be used in humorous contexts, it can also be perceived as derogatory or offensive.
Did you know?
- When discussing the height of mountains or buildings, Spanish speakers use altura instead of estatura, reserving the latter almost exclusively for living beings.
- In some dialects, the word bajo is used to describe the volume of a voice or the pitch of a sound, meaning 'quiet' or 'low'.
- The word estatura comes from the Latin 'statura', which is a distant relative of the English word 'statue', as both relate to standing or staying in place.
Examples in context
- Juan es una persona de baja estatura.Juan is a person of short height.
- La paciente tiene una baja talla.The patient has a short height.
- El cantante destaca por su poca altura.The singer stands out due to his lack of height.
- Mi amiga Ana es bajita pero muy simpática.My friend Ana is short but very friendly.
- ¡Eres chiquito comparado con tu hermano!You are small compared to your brother!
- El equipo de fútbol tiene buenos jugadores, aunque algunos son un poco chaparros.The soccer team has good players, although some of them are a bit short.
- La baja estatura no le impide jugar al baloncesto.His short height does not prevent him from playing basketball.
- A pesar de su baja estatura, es muy ágil.Despite his short height, he is very agile.
Example conversation
Elena and Daniel are discussing requirements for a theme park ride.
- ElenaNo puedo subir por mi baja estatura.I cannot go on it because of my short height.
- DanielEs verdad, el límite es muy alto.It's true, the limit is very high.
- Elena¿Crees que Daniel pueda subir?Do you think Daniel can go on it?
- DanielSí, él no tiene una baja estatura.Yes, he is not of short height.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries baja, estatura, CC BY-SA 4.0.
