alto
/ˈal.to/
The Italian word for tall is alto.
The word alto is used to describe the height of a person. While English uses different words to distinguish between a person being 'tall' and an object being 'high', Italian uses alto for both people and the height of objects.
Meaning: of a person (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in gender and number with the person or group being described. Use alto for a masculine singular subject, and alta for a woman (feminine singular). To describe a group of men or a mixed-gender group, use alti (masculine plural). If the group consists only of women, use alte (feminine plural).
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables and the stress is on the first syllable: /ˈal.to/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using lungo to describe a person's height. Although it translates to 'long' in English, it is incorrect for vertical stature. Use alto instead.
Did you know?
- When used as an exclamation, Alto! does not mean 'tall', but instead serves as a command to 'stop' or 'halt'.
- The word alto shares an ancient ancestor with the English word 'old', as both stem from a root meaning 'to grow'.
- The phrase a voce alta translates literally as 'with a high voice', but it is the standard way to say 'out loud'.
Examples in context
- Tom non è alto.Tom isn't tall.This sentence shows how to use the negative form of alto.Tatoeba #2621817 by Guybrush88, translation #1024675 by CK
- È alto come me?Are you as tall as me?This sentence demonstrates how to use alto in a comparison.Tatoeba #3249223 by Guybrush88, translation #2264659 by _undertoad
- È alto e bello.He is tall and handsome.This sentence shows alto used alongside another adjective.Tatoeba #3544259 by Guybrush88, translation #388095 by Mouseneb
- La signora Rossi è molto alta.Mrs. Rossi is very tall.
- L'atleta olimpico è di statura elevata.The Olympic athlete is tall in stature.
- Mario è alto come un cipresso!Mario is as tall as a cypress tree!
- incredibilmente alto/altaIncredibly tall
- Il portiere della squadra è più alto di un palazzo!The goalkeeper of the team is taller than a building!
- Secondo me, Teresa è la ragazza più alta della classe.In my opinion, Teresa is the tallest girl in the class.
- 342 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lorenzo and Chiara are looking at a photo of a tall athlete.
- LorenzoGuarda quanto è alto quel giocatore.Look how tall that player is.
- ChiaraSì, è davvero molto alto.Yes, he is really very tall.
- LorenzoSecondo te è alto un metro e novanta?Do you think he is one meter ninety tall?
- ChiaraProbabilmente sì, sembra proprio così.Probably yes, he certainly looks that way.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tall” translations and entries alto, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries alto, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
