Eres demasiado alto.
You're too tall.
When someone has to keep looking up at you to talk, this line comes out, with demasiado for "too".
From La herencia del Sr. Deeds · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "tall" in Spanish
alto
adjectivefeminine: altaplural: altos, altas
"Tall" in Spanish is alto, or alta when you describe a woman or a feminine noun. The same word also means high: un precio alto, una montaña alta. For a short person, Spanish says bajo.
Hear "alto" in a real movie scene
One scene where someone says it. The video starts and stops on that line.
Alto beyond height
The word covers people, buildings, prices and even your voice.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| un hombre alto, una mujer alta | a tall man, a tall woman |
| un edificio alto | a tall building |
| un precio alto | a high price |
| en voz alta | out loud |
| ¡Alto! | Stop! (also the word on stop signs in Mexico) |
Tip: Height is given in meters: Mido un metro ochenta is about 5 feet 11.
Grammar: alto, alta, altos, altas
Four rules for describing how tall someone is.
Match the person
alto for a man, alta for a woman, altos for a group, altas for a group of women: Mis hermanas son altas.Ser for height
Height is a lasting trait, so it goes with ser: Soy alto. Es una chica alta.Very, too, taller
muy alto is very tall, demasiado alto is too tall, and más alto que is taller than: Juan es más alto que yo.Tall and thin
Link two traits with y: alto y delgado. Before a word that starts with an i sound, y becomes e: alta e inteligente.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
Es muy alto.
He's very tall.
Eres demasiado alto.
You're too tall.
Mi mamá es muy alta.
My mom is very tall.
Mucha gente es alta y delgada.
A lot of people are tall and thin.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗Ella es alto
✓Ella es alta
When you describe a woman, the adjective takes the -a ending.
✗Estoy alto
✓Soy alto
Height doesn't change from day to day, so it takes ser.
✗Mi hermano es grande (meaning tall)
✓Mi hermano es alto
Grande means big. To talk about height, say alto.
Real conversation: what do you look like?
A short phone call before you meet. Tap to listen.
Raúl, a new coworker, is waiting for you in the square. You've never met, so on the phone you describe what you look like.
Oye, ¿y cómo eres?
Hey, so what do you look like?
Pues soy alto y delgado.
Well, I'm tall and thin.
Muy bien. Yo soy bajo.
Great. I'm short.
Your turn to answer
In the app you reply in Spanish for the last 2 lines.
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The other 26 exercises on this topic are in the app.
How to remember it
Alto and English altitude both come from Latin altus, high. The taller you are, the higher your head's altitude.
Questions about "tall" in Spanish
How do you say tall in Spanish?
Alto for a man or a masculine noun, alta for a woman or a feminine noun: Él es alto. Ella es alta.
How do you say "how tall are you" in Spanish?
¿Cuánto mides?, from the verb medir, to measure. You answer in meters: Mido un metro sesenta.
What's the opposite of alto?
Bajo, or baja for a woman: Mi mamá es baja. Corto is for length and never describes a person's height.
Does alto mean stop in Spanish?
Yes. ¡Alto! means "Stop!", and in Mexico it's the word printed on stop signs.
