Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| darse de alta | /ˌdaɾse de ˈalta/ |
| matricularse a | /matɾikulaɾse a/ (from spelling rules) |
| matricularse en | /matɾikulaɾse en/ (from spelling rules) |
The phrase is used when adding one's name to a list of people participating in something. You use darse de alta for general registration, such as signing up for a service, a website or a social security system.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase darse de alta literally translates to 'to give oneself high/up', where alta refers to a high status or an active state.
Which one should you use?
While darse de alta is used for general registration, matricularse is specifically used for signing up for academic courses, schools or formal educational programs.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, the informal term anotarse is used to say sign up.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using darse de alta to indicate the specific service or program you are joining, use the preposition en (e.g., darse de alta en…). Similarly, the verb matricularse is typically followed by the preposition en to indicate the institution or course one is enrolling in, such as matricularse en.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌdaɾse de ˈalta/
Did you know?
- In a medical context, darse de alta means 'to be discharged' from a hospital. This is the opposite of signing up for a service, but it still refers to a change in official status.
- While matricularse is used for signing up for school, the word matrícula also refers to the license plate on a car in Spain. Both terms relate to the official registration of an entity.
- The word alta in darse de alta shares a root with the English word 'altitude'. Both derive from the Latin word for 'high', reflecting the idea of raising one's status to 'active'.
Examples in context
- Me gustaría registrarme en su sitio web, ¿cómo puedo hacerlo?I would like to sign up on your website, how can I do it?
- Quisiera apuntarme para la conferencia, ¿cuál es el procedimiento?I would like to sign up for the conference, what is the procedure?
- Voy a apuntarme al gimnasio, ¿quieres acompañarme?I'm going to sign up for the gym, do you want to join me?
- Me inscribí en el club de lectura, ¡es genial!I signed up for the book club, it's great!
- Me quiero inscribirI want to sign up
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sign up” translations and entries darse de alta, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
