alta
“alta” means “high” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
high, tall
Also: loud, upper, noble
📝 In Action
La montaña es muy alta.
A1The mountain is very high.
Mi prima es muy alta para su edad.
A1My cousin is very tall for her age.
Por favor, habla en voz más alta.
A2Please, speak in a louder voice.
Vivimos en la planta alta del edificio.
B1We live on the upper floor of the building.
discharge, registration
Also: leave
📝 In Action
El doctor finalmente me dio el alta.
B1The doctor finally gave me my discharge.
Para cancelar, primero tienes que tramitar el alta en el sistema.
B2To cancel, you first have to process the registration in the system.
Mi compañera está de alta por maternidad.
B2My colleague is on maternity leave.
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: alta
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly talks about getting discharged from a hospital?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word 'altus', which meant 'high' or 'tall'. This same root gives English words like 'altitude', 'altar', and 'exalt'.
First recorded: Around the 10th century.
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'alta' and 'alto'?
'Alta' and 'alto' both mean 'high' or 'tall', but they have to match the 'gender' of the word they are describing. Use 'alta' for feminine words (like 'la casa', the house) and 'alto' for masculine words (like 'el árbol', the tree).
Why do people say 'el alta' for hospital discharge if 'alta' is a feminine word?
It's a special rule in Spanish to make pronunciation smoother. To avoid the two 'a' sounds clashing in 'la alta', the article changes to 'el'. This happens with a few feminine words that start with a stressed 'a' sound, like 'el agua' (water) and 'el alma' (soul).