Inklingo

tallo

TAH-yohˈtaʝo

tallo means stem in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

stem, stalkAlso: trunk

NounmA2
A single green plant stem with a few small leaves attached, standing vertically.

📝 In Action

La flor tiene un tallo muy largo.

A1

The flower has a very long stem.

Corta los tallos de las rosas antes de ponerlas en el agua.

A2

Cut the rose stems before putting them in the water.

El tallo del apio es crujiente y delicioso.

B1

The celery stalk is crunchy and delicious.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • pedúnculo (stalk (scientific))
  • vástago (sprout/shoot)

Antonyms

  • raíz (root)
  • pétalo (petal)

Common Collocations

  • tallo cerebralbrain stem
  • tallo verdegreen stem (often used to describe young growth)
  • tallo subterráneounderground stem (like a potato)

Idioms & Expressions

  • ser de buen talloto be tall or well-built

I carve, I measureAlso: I shape

VerbB1regular ar
A pair of hands using a small chisel to shape a piece of wood into a simple bird shape.
gerundtallando
past Participletallado
infinitivetallar

📝 In Action

Yo tallo figuras de madera en mi tiempo libre.

B1

I carve wooden figures in my free time.

Cada mañana, yo tallo a los niños para ver cuánto han crecido.

B2

Every morning, I measure the children to see how much they have grown.

Yo tallo el diamante con mucha precisión.

C1

I cut/shape the diamond with great precision.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • esculpo (I sculpt)
  • mido (I measure)

Common Collocations

  • tallar a manoto carve by hand
  • tallar en piedrato carve in stone

Subjunctive

Imperfect Subjunctive

yotallara
tallaras
él/ella/ustedtallara
nosotrostalláramos
vosotrostallarais
ellos/ellas/ustedestallaran

Present Subjunctive

yotalle
talles
él/ella/ustedtalle
nosotrostallemos
vosotrostalléis
ellos/ellas/ustedestallen

Indicative

Preterite

yotallé
tallaste
él/ella/ustedtalló
nosotrostallamos
vosotrostallasteis
ellos/ellas/ustedestallaron

Imperfect

yotallaba
tallabas
él/ella/ustedtallaba
nosotrostallábamos
vosotrostallabais
ellos/ellas/ustedestallaban

Present

yotallo
tallas
él/ella/ustedtalla
nosotrostallamos
vosotrostalláis
ellos/ellas/ustedestallan

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "tallo" in Spanish:

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: tallo

Question 1 of 3

Which sentence refers to a plant part?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
tallar(to carve/measure)Verb
tallado(carving/carved)Noun / Adjective
tallito(little stem)Noun
talludo(long-stemmed/grown up)Adjective
🎵 Rhymes
📚 Etymology

From the Latin word 'thallus', which came from Greek 'thallos', meaning a green sprout or young branch.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: steloPortuguese: talo

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'tallo' the same as 'tronco'?

Not exactly. 'Tronco' is used for thick tree trunks, while 'tallo' is for the stems of flowers, herbs, and smaller plants.

Can 'tallo' mean my height?

As a noun, no. But the verb 'tallar' is used to describe the act of measuring height. If a doctor says 'Te voy a tallar,' they are going to measure how tall you are.

Why does my recipe say 'tallo de apio'?

In cooking, 'tallo' is the standard way to say 'a stalk' of something, like celery.