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The words corto, bajo, and breve all mean “short” in Spanish, but which word should you use and when? Whether you’re commenting on someone’s height or shopping for new clothes, you’ll need to learn how to say “short” appropriately for the context in Spanish. It can be translated as a Spanish adjective to describe length, height, or duration; a singular noun for specific concepts like a short circuit or a short film; or a plural noun for the clothing item.
When studying words with multiple translations, memorization can only get you so far. It’s a good starting point, but if you want to achieve fluency, focus on a method that leads to faster language adoption, like Rosetta Stone’s Dynamic Immersion. Through audio from native speakers, as well as images and text, you can learn important Spanish words like “short” in no time, giving you the confidence to use them appropriately in any conversation.
Using ‘short’ in Spanish as an adjective
You can use corto (masculine) or corta (feminine) to say “short” as an adjective in Spanish. As with many adjectives, you’ll also have a few other options to describe someone or something as short.
Corto/corta
You’ll use corto when talking about something that isn’t long, like short hair or short stories in Spanish. Similar to other adjectives, corto can be placed directly after the noun being described or after ”are” in Spanish. Either way, you’ll need to apply Spanish gender rules to make sure the adjective agrees with the noun in gender and number.
Here’s how to use corto in context:
- Lola tiene el pelo corto. = Lola has short hair.
- Mis pantalones son demasiado cortos. = My pants are too short.
- La película es corta. Solo dura una hora y media. = The movie is short. It only lasts an hour and a half.
Breve
Like corto, breve can be used to talk about something that’s brief, like a movie, meeting, or text. Since it ends in an “e,” breve does not change according to gender, so it stays the same for both masculine and feminine nouns. For example:
- Para más detalles, consulte la descripción breve a continuación. = For more details, consult the short description below.
- La cita fue bastante breve. Terminamos en 15 minutos. = The interview was quite short. We finished in 15 minutes.
Bajo/baja
The short, easy-to-remember adjective bajo makes describing people’s height a breeze. Here’s how it’s used in context:
- Mi hermano es muy bajo para su edad. = My brother is very short for his age.
- Ella es más baja que su hermana. = She is shorter than her sister.
Other regional Spanish words for short height
Learning Spanish slang and regional expressions can significantly improve your interactions with Spanish speakers. Depending on where you are, there are a few more adjectives to describe someone as being short in Spanish.
Chaparro/chaparra
When you’re in Mexico and Central America, practice using chaparro instead of bajo to describe someone’s height. For example:
- Mi hermano es muy chaparro, pero es el mejor en el básquetbol. = My brother is very short, but he’s the best at basketball.
Petiso/petisa
In South America, you can opt for petiso, which is a common regional word for “short in height,” particularly in the Southern Cone.
- La nueva jugadora es petisa, pero muy rápida. = The new player is short, but very fast.
Using ‘short’ as a singular noun in Spanish
The word “short” can also be used as a noun to discuss common topics like electronics and film.
| Spanish | English | Context |
| un cortocircuito | a short (circuit) | electronics |
| un cortometraje | a short (film) | film/video |
| una copita | a short (drink) | beverage (particularly in the UK) |
Here’s how these words look in context:
- La tostadora causó un cortocircuito. = The toaster caused a short.
- ¿Viste el cortometraje de animación que te envié? = Did you see the animated short that I sent you?
- Pidió una copita en el bar. = He ordered a short at the bar.
How do you say ‘shorts’ in Spanish?
Using “short” as a plural noun often refers to the piece of clothing you wear in summer. Items of clothing are important Spanish words, so you’ll want to learn common articles like los pantalones (pants) and los shorts (shorts) to discuss fashion and shopping or to talk about what you’re wearing. There are several ways to say “shorts” in Spanish.
El short
Use this common loanword to talk about the article of clothing in casual contexts.
- Se vestía ligero con un short y una camiseta. = She was dressed lightly in shorts and a T-shirt.
Los shorts
The plural form los shorts is also used as a direct loanword from English to refer to the clothing item. You can use it to talk about a single pair or multiple pairs of shorts.
- Me gustan esos shorts. ¿Cuánto cuestan? = I like those shorts. How much do they cost?
Los pantalones cortos
Los pantalones cortos, which translates as “short pants,” is used in both the plural and the singular pantalón corto.
- Se puso los pantalones cortos y salieron para el gimnasio. = He changed into some shorts and headed to the gym.
- Llevaba un pantalón corto y una camiseta sin mangas. = He was wearing shorts and a tank top.
Just like “hat” in Spanish, there are a lot of ways to express the word “short,” from length and height to the item of clothing you wear. To hear these words in context, try out Rosetta Stone Live Lessons, where you’ll be guided through real-time conversations that help you understand and apply new vocabulary naturally.
