altos
“altos” means “tall” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
tall, high
Also: loud, upper
📝 In Action
Mis hermanos son muy altos, miden casi dos metros.
A1My brothers are very tall; they measure almost two meters.
Los árboles de este parque son los más altos de la ciudad.
A2The trees in this park are the highest (tallest) in the city.
El volumen de la música estaba demasiado alto. (Note: 'alto' acts as an adverb here, but the core meaning is the same.)
B1The volume of the music was too loud.
upper floors, heights
Also: stops
📝 In Action
Mis tíos viven en los altos de la casa de mi abuela.
B1My aunt and uncle live in the upper floors (or upstairs apartment) of my grandmother's house.
Desde estos altos se puede ver toda la ciudad.
B2From these heights, you can see the whole city.
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: altos
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'altos' to describe the price of goods?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes directly from the Latin word *altus*, which meant both 'high' and 'deep.' This duality shows up in related words in Spanish, but 'altos' primarily focuses on the vertical dimension of height.
First recorded: Before the 10th century (in Old Spanish as 'alto')
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if 'altos' means 'tall' or 'high'?
If you are describing a person, it almost always means 'tall.' If you are describing an abstract concept (like a price or a sound), it means 'high' or 'loud.' Context is key!
Is 'altos' ever used as a command?
No, not 'altos.' The command form for 'stop' is '¡Alto!' (singular, used as an interjection/command), or sometimes '¡Paren!' (the verb 'to stop').