alto
/ˈalto/
To say 'tall' in Spanish, the default form is alto.
The word alto is the most common way to express that a person is tall. It can also be used to describe something as 'high' or to refer to a 'loud' volume. For comparisons, you can use más alto/a que (taller than), menos alto/a que (shorter than) or tan alto/a como (as tall as). To identify the extreme, use el más alto/la más alta for the tallest and el menos alto/la menos alta for the least tall.
Meaning: of a person (adj)
Which one should you use?
When describing a person's height, the opposite of alto is bajo (short). While alto is the standard term for people, elevado/a is a formal alternative used specifically for objects or structures with tall heights. To describe someone who is not tall, you might hear the colloquial term chaparro/a.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some regions of Latin America, the word grande may be used to describe tallness.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in gender and number with the person or people being described. Use alta for a woman, altos for a group of men or a mixed group and altas for a group of women.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈalto/
Did you know?
- While you use alto to describe a person's height, you can also use the same word to tell someone to 'stop' or 'halt' in a command. In this context, it functions as a signal to cease movement or sound.
- In Old Spanish, the naturally inherited version of this word was oto, which survives today in certain place names and the word otero.
Examples in context
- Él es muy alto.He is very tall.This sentence uses alto to describe a man's height.Tatoeba #1129861 by marcelostockle, translation #292154 by CK
- Tu padre es alto.Your father is tall.This sentence uses alto to describe a father's height.Tatoeba #445794 by Shishir, translation #70957 by CK
- Su padre es alto.Her father is tall.Tatoeba #788144 by Shishir, translation #788138 by CK
- El jugador de baloncesto es muy alto.The basketball player is very tall.
- El rascacielos tiene una torre extremadamente elevada.The skyscraper has an extremely tall tower.
- Carlos es más alto que Pedro.Carlos is taller than Pedro.
- Marta es menos alta que Sara.Marta is shorter than Sara.
- Juan es tan alto como Miguel.Juan is as tall as Miguel.
- María es la más alta de todas.María is the tallest of all.
- Luis es el menos alto del grupo.Luis is the least tall in the group.
- 175 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Elena are looking at a photo of a basketball player.
- Alejandro¿Es él muy alto?Is he very tall?
- ElenaSí, es un hombre alto.Yes, he is a tall man.
- AlejandroNo es tan alto como yo.He is not as tall as I am.
- ElenaTienes razón, tú eres más alto.You're right, you are taller.
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.
