Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
How to Say Short in Spanish: Corto, Bajo & Breve
Corto · adjective · KOHR-toh
Short does not have a single Spanish equivalent. Corto describes short length or duration: un camino corto (a short path), una película corta (a short film). Bajo describes short height in people: Ella es baja (She is short). Breve means brief: una breve pausa (a brief pause). Mixing these up is one of the most common mistakes English speakers make in Spanish.
Corto is KOHR-toh, two syllables. Bajo is BAH-hoh, two syllables. Breve is BREH-veh, two syllables. Chaparro is chah-PAH-rroh.
Lleva el pelo corto desde que era niña.
She's worn her hair short since she was a child.
Short in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for short, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| corto | short | KOHR-toh | Default, widely understood |
| bajo | short | Universal — short in height (people) | |
| breve | short | Universal — brief, short in duration | |
| chaparro | short | Mexico — short (colloquial for height) |
How Native Speakers Use Corto
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Physical length
La falda es demasiado corta para la oficina.
The skirt is too short for the office.
Corto/corta describes the physical length of objects and clothing. The adjective agrees with the noun: falda (feminine) → corta.
Person's height
Mi primo es bastante bajo para su edad.
My cousin is quite short for his age.
Bajo describes a person's height. Use ser (not estar) because height is a permanent characteristic: Es bajo, not Está bajo (which means 'he is down/low').
Duration of time
El discurso fue breve, apenas duró diez minutos.
The speech was short — it barely lasted ten minutes.
Breve emphasizes brevity in time. It sounds more formal than corto when describing durations but is widely used.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Corto
Using corto for a person's height
Incorrect: Juan es muy corto.
Correct: Juan es muy bajo.
Corto means short in length, not height. Saying someone is corto in some contexts can imply they are dim-witted (corto de mente = slow / not bright). Always use bajo for height.
Using bajo for objects
Incorrect: Esta cuerda es muy baja.
Correct: Esta cuerda es muy corta.
Bajo refers to height (people, tables, ceilings) or low position. For the length of objects like ropes, skirts, or hair, use corto.
Lock in Short Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
Why word lists alone don't stick
Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.
See Corto used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using corto in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Lleva el pelo corto desde que era niña. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
Save, review, repeat, stay consistent
Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.
Common Questions About Short in Spanish
- What is the difference between corto and bajo?
- Corto = short in length or duration (short hair, short movie). Bajo = short in height (short person) or low (low table, low voice). English uses 'short' for both; Spanish requires two different adjectives.
- What does chaparro mean?
- Chaparro is a Mexican colloquial word for a short person. It is generally affectionate or neutral, often used as a nickname (El Chaparro). It is not offensive in Mexico but might not be understood outside the country.
- How do I say 'short story' in Spanish?
- Cuento corto or cuento breve. In literary contexts, cuento is the standard word for a short story. Relato corto is a synonym used in more formal literary criticism.