Italian · Emotions & Descriptions
"Tall" in Italian: alto/a
alto/a
Tall in Italian is alto (AHL-toh) masculine and alta feminine. For people and buildings use alto; lungo is long, not tall.
Describing a friend
Marco è alto e magro.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce alto/a
Say it
AHL-toh
/ˈal.to/
Alto stresses AHL: AHL-toh. Soft t. Alta is AHL-tah.
"Tall" in Italian: quick reference
| Italian | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| alto / alta | tall / high People, buildings, mountains. | People, buildings, mountains. |
| molto alto | very tall Emphasis. | Emphasis. |
| alto un metro e ottanta | one meter eighty tall Height measures. | Height measures. |
| un edificio alto | a tall building Cities. | Cities. |
How to use alto/a in real life
- 1Describing a friend
Marco è alto e magro.
Marco is tall and slim.
Alto.
- 2Skyline
Quella torre è molto alta.
That tower is very tall.
Alta feminine.
- 3ID form
Sono alto un metro e settantacinque.
I'm one meter seventy-five tall.
Alto + measure.
Mistakes English speakers make with alto/a
Incorrect: È lungo due metri—intendi height.
Correct: È alto due metri.
Height uses alto, not lungo.
Incorrect: La ragazza è alto.
Correct: La ragazza è alta.
Agree: alta.
Good to know
Italians describe height casually with alto/a and may add un metro e… for precision. Buildings and people share the same adjective.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Spotting someone in a crowd
ChatPal
Vedi il ragazzo alto col cappello?
See the tall guy with the hat?
You
Sì, è il più alto del gruppo.
Yes, he's the tallest in the group.
ChatPal
Anche sua sorella è alta.
His sister is tall too.
You
Famiglia di alti, allora.
A tall family, then.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Tall" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Tall" in Italian
Alto or lungo?
Alto for tall/high; lungo for long.
Feminine?
Alta.
How tall are you?
Quanto sei alto/a? / Quanto misuri?
Very tall?
Molto alto / altissimo.
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