alto

/ˈal.to/adjective / noun · masculineA1 / B1

Most common · Top 500

Meaning · adjective

high, tall

Quel ragazzo è molto alto per la sua età.
That boy is very tall for his age.

Perché tieni la musica così alta in macchina?
Why do you keep the music so loud in the car?

Non posso saltare quel muro così alto.
I can't jump over that wall that high.

Word forms (6)

Use 'alto' for height (people/buildings) but 'elevato' for abstract things like prices or levels.
Agrees in gender/number: 'alto/alta/alti/alte.' Don’t forget the final vowel.
For 'loud,' 'alto' is neutral; 'forte' is stronger, 'rumoroso' is noisy (negative).
also superiore (comparative), supremo (superlative)

height

L'alto del mobile è pieno di polvere.
The top of the cabinet is full of dust.

L'alto della montagna è coperto di neve.
The top of the mountain is covered with snow.

Dall'alto del ponte si vede il fiume.
From the top of the bridge you can see the river.

Word forms (1)

Word	Word forms
alto	singular

As a noun, alto usually means the musical voice type. For height, use the adjective alto or the noun altezza, not alto alone.
For a male singer, use tenore, baritono, or basso when appropriate; alto as a noun is less common for men than controtenore.
In music contexts, alto is standard and neutral: voce di alto, sax alto, chiave di contralto are common collocations.