alta
/al-tah/
high
Depicting an object that is physically high (alta).
alta(Adjective)
high
?referring to objects, places, or abstract things
,tall
?referring to people, especially women
loud
?used with 'voz' (voice)
,upper
?e.g., 'the upper part'
,noble
?e.g., 'high society'
📝 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.
💡 Grammar Points
Matching Feminine Words
Use 'alta' to describe a person, place, or thing that is grammatically feminine. For masculine things, you need to use its partner word, 'alto'. For example, 'la casa alta' (the tall house) but 'el edificio alto' (the tall building).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Mismatching with Masculine Words
Mistake: "El árbol es muy alta."
Correction: El árbol es muy alto. Because 'árbol' (tree) is a masculine word, the descriptive word has to match it.
⭐ Usage Tips
Tall vs. High
Just like in English, 'alta' can mean 'tall' for people and 'high' for things like mountains or prices. The context makes the meaning clear.
Depicting the act of being given discharge (alta) from an institution.
alta(Noun)
discharge
?from a hospital or institution
,registration
?signing up for a service
leave
?e.g., sick 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.
💡 Grammar Points
Why 'el alta'?
Even though 'alta' is a feminine word, we say 'el alta' instead of 'la alta'. This is a special rule in Spanish to make it sound better and avoid two 'a' sounds together ('la alta'). It's the same reason we say 'el agua' (water).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using 'la' instead of 'el'
Mistake: "Estoy esperando la alta del médico."
Correction: Estoy esperando el alta del médico. Remember the special sound rule: use 'el' right before 'alta' when it's a noun.
⭐ Usage Tips
Sign Up, Sign Off
The phrase 'darse de alta' means to sign up for something (a gym, a newsletter). Its opposite is 'darse de baja', which means to unsubscribe or cancel a membership.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: alta
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly talks about getting discharged from a hospital?
📚 More Resources
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).