Italian word of the day
| Origin | From the Latin word altum, “high” |
| Translation | Tall |
| IPA pronunciation | /ˈalto/ |
Use alto when you talk about buildings, numbers, people, and heights in general.
Alto
Tall
Different forms of alto
Like most adjectives in Italian, alto has two articles (definite or indefinite articles) and two numbers (singular or plural).
| Singular | Plural | |
| Masculine | Alto | Alti |
| Feminine | Alta | Alte |
Examples
Il cavallo bianco è più alto di quello nero.
The white horse is taller than the black one.
Non ci sono molti edifici alti in questa zona.
There aren’t many tall buildings in this area.
Quanto è alta la Torre Eiffel?
How tall is the Eiffel Tower?
Related words
Elevato
High, elevated
Grande
Big
Lungo
Long
For example, you can say…
La fibra ottica permette velocità di navigazione molto elevate.
Fiber optics allow very high surfing speeds.
Il mio studio si trova in quel grande edificio laggiù.
My studio is in that big building over there.
High or tall?
There’s no difference between high and tall in Italian since both adjectives are translated as alto.
You would never think of a number or a price tag as being tall, and you would never think of a man as being high. However, there’s no such distinction in Italian.
L’auto della polizia viaggiava ad alta velocità.
The police car was driving at a very high speed.
Sto assumendo un farmaco contro la pressione alta.
I am taking medication for high blood pressure.
Il prezzo di questa maglietta è troppo alto.
The price of this T-shirt is too high.
More free Italian resources
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