Tall in Different Languages
Discover 'Tall' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Tall is a word that holds a special place in our vocabulary, often used to describe something or someone reaching great heights. Its significance goes beyond physical attributes, symbolizing ambition, success, and achievement in various cultures. For instance, in Western cultures, tall often represents power and authority, while in some Eastern cultures, it can signify wisdom and enlightenment.
Moreover, the word 'tall' has fascinating historical contexts. In Old English, the word 'tāl' meant 'to grow or spring up,' which eventually evolved into the modern meaning we know today. This evolution showcases how language constantly adapts and changes over time.
Understanding the translation of tall in different languages can open doors to cultural exploration and linguistic curiosity. For example, in Spanish, tall is 'alto,' in French, it's 'grand,' and in German, it's 'hoch.'
Explore the list below to learn more about how this simple yet powerful word is translated in various languages across the globe.
Tall
Tall in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | lank | ||
| Afrikaans "lank" is likely derived from Dutch "lang", meaning "long" or "tall". In the 17th century, Dutch farmers in South Africa used "lank" to describe animals with long legs. | |||
| Amharic | ረዥም | ||
| ረዥም is also used to describe a long period of time, such as a long day or a long journey | |||
| Hausa | mai tsayi | ||
| "Mai tsayi" is also used to describe a person or animal with an abnormal height. | |||
| Igbo | toro ogologo | ||
| Toro ogologo, also a type of yam in Igbo, is an idiom used to describe an extremely tall person. | |||
| Malagasy | lava | ||
| The word "lava" also means a type of large bird in Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wamtali | ||
| The word "wamtali" in Nyanja (Chichewa) can also refer to a long object, such as a stick or a road. | |||
| Shona | kureba | ||
| Kureba's etymology suggests an underlying meaning of 'being long' or 'lengthy' in Shona. | |||
| Somali | dheer | ||
| The word "dheer" can also mean "tall" in a figurative sense, such as "a tall tale" or "a tall drink of water." | |||
| Sesotho | e telele | ||
| The word "e telele" can also mean "to stand up straight" or "to be proud" in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | mrefu | ||
| In addition to meaning "tall", "mrefu" can also refer to someone who is noble or respected. | |||
| Xhosa | mde | ||
| The word "mde" in Xhosa is also used to describe the process of growing taller or becoming more mature. | |||
| Yoruba | ga | ||
| "Ga" also means "to walk" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | ubude | ||
| The word "ubude" in Zulu can also refer to a specific type of tall grass or reed. | |||
| Bambara | jamajan | ||
| Ewe | kᴐkᴐ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | muremure | ||
| Lingala | molai | ||
| Luganda | obuwanvu | ||
| Sepedi | telele | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ware | ||
Tall in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | طويل | ||
| "طويل" also means "patient" or "tolerant", and is cognate with the Hebrew word "טול" meaning "raise" or "lift". | |||
| Hebrew | גובה | ||
| The Hebrew word "גובה" originates from the root "גב" meaning "back", as height was originally measured by the length of a person's back. | |||
| Pashto | اوږد | ||
| The word "اوږد" in Pashto can also mean "extensive" or "prolonged". | |||
| Arabic | طويل | ||
| "طويل" also means "patient" or "tolerant", and is cognate with the Hebrew word "טול" meaning "raise" or "lift". | |||
Tall in Western European Languages
| Albanian | i gjatë | ||
| The Albanian term "i gjatë" does not only mean "tall", but it can also be used to refer to the length of an object or time interval. | |||
| Basque | altuera | ||
| In Basque, 'altuera' comes from the verb 'altu' (to lift), and can refer to both physical height and social status. | |||
| Catalan | alt | ||
| In Catalan, the word "alt" can also mean "elevated", "high", or "top". | |||
| Croatian | visok | ||
| The Croatian word "visok" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "vysokъ", meaning "high, tall, or elevated, originating from the Proto-Indo-European root *weiḱ-" which also meant "to ascend or raise." | |||
| Danish | høj | ||
| Cognate to the German hoch, the Dutch hoog and the Old English heah, which all have the same meaning of "tall" or "elevated". | |||
| Dutch | hoog | ||
| The word "hoog" can also refer to a height measurement, such as a building's height. | |||
| English | tall | ||
| The word 'tall' derives from the Old English word 'talu', meaning 'reckoning' or 'number'. | |||
| French | grand | ||
| In French, "grand" can also refer to a person, a place, or a thing that is impressive, magnificent, or imposing. | |||
| Frisian | grut | ||
| The word "grut" in Frisian can also refer to a group of people or a meeting. | |||
| Galician | alto | ||
| In Galician, "alto" can also refer to a plateau or hilltop. | |||
| German | hoch | ||
| Hoch also means "high" in German and is related to the English word "high". | |||
| Icelandic | hár | ||
| The Icelandic word "hár" also means "hoary" or "gray-haired." | |||
| Irish | ard | ||
| The Irish word "ard" can also mean "height", "high ground", or "a hill". | |||
| Italian | alto | ||
| The Italian word "alto" can also mean "high" or "deep". | |||
| Luxembourgish | grouss | ||
| From Old French *gros*, meaning “big, fat, bulky, coarse, gross”, going back to Latin *grossus*. It is ultimately derived from the Greek word *βαρύς* (barys), meaning “heavy.” | |||
| Maltese | tall | ||
| The Maltese word "tall" is derived from the Italian word "tallo," meaning "stalk" or "stem." | |||
| Norwegian | høy | ||
| The word "høy" also means "hay" in Norwegian. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | alta | ||
| The word 'alta' comes from the Latin 'altus', meaning 'deep' or 'high' | |||
| Scots Gaelic | àrd | ||
| "Àrd" can also be used to refer to "high social rank" or as an honorific for the head of a clan. | |||
| Spanish | alto | ||
| The word "alto" in Spanish can also refer to a musical register or a mountain pass. | |||
| Swedish | lång | ||
| The word "lång" also means "long" in Swedish. | |||
| Welsh | tal | ||
| "Tal" in Welsh means "forehead" or "eyebrow", but can also mean "slope" or "foreland". | |||
Tall in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | высокі | ||
| "Высокі" can also refer to "high" in terms of rank or social status. | |||
| Bosnian | visok | ||
| The word "visok" is also used figuratively to describe someone who is important or influential. | |||
| Bulgarian | висок | ||
| "Висок" is also used to refer to a prominent place or a place that is elevated. | |||
| Czech | vysoký | ||
| The Czech word "vysoký" is a cognate with Old Slavic "высокъ" and has a root related to words for height, such as "above", "on top of" and possibly also related to "elevated, lifted up". | |||
| Estonian | pikk | ||
| The word "pikk" can also mean "long, extensive, spacious, far-reaching" | |||
| Finnish | pitkä | ||
| "Pitkä" can also mean "long, far, slow, or lazy". | |||
| Hungarian | magas | ||
| The Hungarian word "magas" has cognate forms with similar meaning in several Finnic languages. | |||
| Latvian | garš | ||
| The word "garš" can also refer to the length or depth of an object. | |||
| Lithuanian | ūgio | ||
| "Ūgis" is of Proto-Balto-Slavic origin, akin to the Slavic *vysъ and ultimately stems from the PIE root *augs-, meaning "to grow." | |||
| Macedonian | висок | ||
| The word "висок" also has a secondary meaning of "high" or "elevated" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | wysoki | ||
| The word "wysoki" is also used to mean "high" or "lofty," as in the phrase "wysokie szczyty" (high peaks). | |||
| Romanian | înalt | ||
| "Înalt" also means "eminent", "high-ranking" and was used in the past to refer to boyars or princes. | |||
| Russian | высокий | ||
| The word "высокий" is used to describe a wide spectrum of things in Russian, including physical stature, social rank, and intellectual capacity. | |||
| Serbian | висок | ||
| The word 'висок' in Serbian also has the alternate meaning of 'temple' (part of the face). | |||
| Slovak | vysoký | ||
| The word vysoký also has a second, figurative meaning related to social status or importance. | |||
| Slovenian | visok | ||
| In the context of the construction industry, "visok" can refer to a high-rise building. | |||
| Ukrainian | високий | ||
| The word "високий" is also used in Ukrainian to describe something that is elevated or lofty, such as a position or a thought. | |||
Tall in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | লম্বা | ||
| The word "লম্বা" can also mean "long" in the sense of distance or duration. | |||
| Gujarati | .ંચું | ||
| The Gujarati word "ંચું" ("tall") derives from the Sanskrit word "ucсha" ("high, lofty"). | |||
| Hindi | लंबा | ||
| The word "लंबा" can also mean "long" or "lengthy". | |||
| Kannada | ಎತ್ತರ | ||
| ಎತ್ತರ in Kannada, besides its primary meaning 'tall,' also refers to someone who's 'honorable' or 'senior' in age. | |||
| Malayalam | ഉയരമുള്ളത് | ||
| The word "ഉയരമുള്ളത്" is derived from the word "ഉയരം" meaning "height" and it can also mean "elevated" or "lofty". | |||
| Marathi | उंच | ||
| The word "उंच" in Marathi is derived from Old Indo-Aryan "ūrdhva" meaning "upwards, high, elevated". | |||
| Nepali | अग्लो | ||
| The word "अग्लो" (tall) in Nepali is derived from the Proto-Indo-Iranian root *hreg-, meaning "to stretch," and is related to the English word "long." | |||
| Punjabi | ਲੰਬਾ | ||
| The word "ਲੰਬਾ" can also mean "greedy" or "stretchy" in Punjabi. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | උස | ||
| In some contexts, "උස" can also refer to height, stature, elevation, or importance. | |||
| Tamil | உயரமான | ||
| உயரமான also means majestic, lofty, and elevated in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | పొడవైనది | ||
| The word "పొడవైనది" can also refer to a person or thing that is long in duration or extent; having a significant period of time between the beginning and the end. | |||
| Urdu | لمبا | ||
| The word 'لمبا' (tall) in Urdu is derived from the Sanskrit word 'लम्ब' (lamba) meaning 'long' or 'hanging' | |||
Tall in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 高 | ||
| The character "高" can also mean "noble" or "distinguished", and is often used in personal names or titles. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 高 | ||
| The word "高" can also mean "noble" or "lofty" in Chinese. | |||
| Japanese | 背が高い | ||
| The word "背が高い" literally means "high back" where "背" means "back" and "高い" means "high". | |||
| Korean | 긴 | ||
| The word "긴" can also mean "long" or "far" in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | өндөр | ||
| In astronomy, "өндөр" refers to the altitude above the horizon. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အရပ်ရှည်ရှည် | ||
Tall in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | tinggi | ||
| The word 'tinggi' can also mean 'elevated' or 'high' in a figurative sense, such as 'high-ranking' or 'high-quality'. | |||
| Javanese | dhuwur | ||
| The Javanese word "dhuwur" can also refer to the top or summit of something. | |||
| Khmer | កម្ពស់ | ||
| The word "កម្ពស់" can also refer to a person's stature or their height when compared to others. | |||
| Lao | ສູງ | ||
| The Lao word for "tall" (ສູງ) also connotes elevation, both physical and social. | |||
| Malay | tinggi | ||
| "Tinggi" can refer to a physical or metaphorical concept of stature or elevation. | |||
| Thai | สูง | ||
| The word "สูง" comes from the Proto-Tai language, and is cognate with the Khmer word "សូរ្យ" (sur), which means "sun". | |||
| Vietnamese | cao | ||
| In the Sino-Vietnamese vocabulary, "cao" originally means "high" and is often used to describe the height of a person or object. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | matangkad | ||
Tall in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | hündür | ||
| The word "hündür" is also used to describe a person's stature or social status. | |||
| Kazakh | биік | ||
| The word "биік" ("tall") in Kazakh is also used to describe someone who is respected or has a high status in society. | |||
| Kyrgyz | узун | ||
| The word "узун" also refers to "long" in length and "large", such as "large amount". | |||
| Tajik | баланд | ||
| The word "баланд" in Tajik is also used to describe a person with a dominant or proud character. | |||
| Turkmen | uzyn | ||
| Uzbek | uzun bo'yli | ||
| The term "uzun bo'yli" is often used as a compliment to describe someone who is considered to be attractive or handsome. | |||
| Uyghur | ئېگىز | ||
Tall in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | loloa | ||
| "Loloa" can also mean "continuous" or "uninterrupted" in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | roroa | ||
| The word 'roroa' can also mean 'lengthy', 'prolonged' or 'extensive' in Maori. | |||
| Samoan | umi | ||
| The word "umi" can also refer to a large person, with or without good attributes. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | matangkad | ||
| The Tagalog word "matangkad" also means "mature" and "respected". | |||
Tall in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | pata | ||
| Guarani | yvate | ||
Tall in International Languages
| Esperanto | alta | ||
| The name of Esperanto's creator, Zamenhof, contains the word 'alt,' which means 'elevation' or 'high' in German. | |||
| Latin | longus | ||
| The Latin word "longus" can also mean "long in space or time" or "lengthy, protracted." | |||
Tall in Others Languages
| Greek | ψηλός | ||
| The word ψηλός, which means 'tall,' may be linked to the verb ἅλλομαι, which refers to leaping or bounding. | |||
| Hmong | siab | ||
| The word "siab" can also mean "above" or "on top" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | mezin | ||
| The term 'mezin' can also denote a senior family member, particularly an elderly uncle | |||
| Turkish | uzun boylu | ||
| The word "uzun boylu" is a compound of the words "uzun" ("long") and "boylu" ("statured") in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | mde | ||
| The word "mde" in Xhosa is also used to describe the process of growing taller or becoming more mature. | |||
| Yiddish | הויך | ||
| The word "הויך" has an etymological root in the German word "hoch" and also means "hearty" or "lofty" in Yiddish. | |||
| Zulu | ubude | ||
| The word "ubude" in Zulu can also refer to a specific type of tall grass or reed. | |||
| Assamese | ওখ | ||
| Aymara | pata | ||
| Bhojpuri | लाम | ||
| Dhivehi | ދިގު | ||
| Dogri | लम्मां | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | matangkad | ||
| Guarani | yvate | ||
| Ilocano | natayag | ||
| Krio | tɔl | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بەرز | ||
| Maithili | लंबा | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯋꯥꯡꯕ | ||
| Mizo | sang | ||
| Oromo | dheeraa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଲମ୍ବା | ||
| Quechua | hatun karay | ||
| Sanskrit | उन्नतः | ||
| Tatar | озын | ||
| Tigrinya | ነዊሕ | ||
| Tsonga | leha | ||