To say short in Italian, you need to know what is short. Corto is a common choice for physical length, breve works well for duration or a concise text, and basso describes a person’s height. English uses one adjective across these situations, but Italian often chooses a different word for each meaning.
Quick answer:
Short = corto for length, breve for duration, and basso for height. Examples: capelli corti — short hair; una breve pausa — a short break; una persona bassa — a short person.
How Do You Say Short in Italian?
Corto is the useful starting point when you mean something has little length. Una gonna corta is “a short skirt,” and un cavo corto is “a short cable.” The Treccani entry for corto gives physical shortness as its central meaning, with examples involving objects and clothing.
Example: Questo cavo è troppo corto. — This cable is too short.
The adjective changes to match the noun. Use corta with a feminine singular noun, corti with a masculine plural noun, and corte with a feminine plural noun. These endings are part of the same adjective rather than four unrelated translations.
Before choosing a word, ask whether you mean length, time, height, or an insufficient amount. A short rope, a short meeting, a short person, and being short of time do not have one automatic Italian translation. Looking at the noun and the whole situation will usually point you toward the right expression.
Different Italian Words for Short
1. Corto — Short in Length
Use corto for many objects measured along their length. Pantaloni corti means “short trousers” or “shorts,” and maniche corte means “short sleeves.” For hair, the normal expression is capelli corti. Italian uses the plural noun capelli for the hair on someone’s head, so the adjective is plural too.
When saying something is too short, add troppo: La corda è troppo corta — “The rope is too short.” Here troppo modifies the adjective and remains unchanged. The adjective corta still agrees with the feminine noun corda.
2. Breve — Short in Duration
Breve is a natural choice for a short period, a short explanation, or a concise message. Una breve pausa is “a short break,” and un breve messaggio is “a short message.” Its singular form is the same with masculine and feminine nouns. The plural is brevi.
There is some overlap between corto and breve. For example, a film can be described in terms of its length or duration. Do not treat the distinction as a rigid rule with no exceptions. As a beginner, however, corto for physical length and breve for time or concision is a helpful starting pattern.
3. Basso — Short in Height
Basso means “low” and can describe someone as short in height. È basso means “He is short,” while È bassa means “She is short,” when the context concerns height. Una persona bassa uses the feminine adjective because persona is a feminine noun.
Do not automatically use corto for a person’s overall height. It is useful for the length of something, such as gambe corte, “short legs,” but basso is the ordinary adjective for stature. As in English, comments about a person’s appearance depend on the relationship and situation.
4. A Corto Di — Short Of
Essere a corto di means “to be short of” or “to be running low on.” Sono a corto di tempo is “I’m short of time,” and Siamo a corto di idee is “We’re short of ideas.” This expression concerns an insufficient supply rather than the physical length of the thing named.
Learn a corto di as a fixed expression. In Siamo a corto di idee, you do not change corto to agree with the plural noun idee. The construction is different from a regular adjective directly describing a noun, as in storie corte.
Short in Italian: Quick Comparison
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| Meaning of short | Italian | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Physical length | corto / corta | una corda corta — a short rope |
| Short hair | corti | capelli corti — short hair |
| Duration | breve | una breve pausa — a short break |
| A concise text | breve | un breve messaggio — a short message |
| A person’s height | basso / bassa | È bassa. — She is short. |
| An insufficient supply | a corto di | a corto di tempo — short of time |
| In a concise way | brevemente / in breve | spiegare brevemente — to explain briefly |
How to Pronounce Corto, Breve, and Basso
Corto is approximately KOR-toh, with stress on the first syllable. The c before o has a hard k sound. Keep the final vowel audible rather than reducing it to an English unstressed vowel. The Italian r may be tapped or trilled.
Breve is approximately BREH-veh, also stressed on the first syllable. Basso is approximately BAHS-soh. The double ss in basso is held longer than a single consonant; let the sound last briefly before moving into the final vowel.
These English sound guides are approximate. Practice a whole noun phrase after the single word so you learn both the sound and the adjective ending. Repeating corto, corta, corti, corte also helps you connect pronunciation with the grammar.
Changing the Adjective Ending
Most adjectives in this group agree with the noun they describe. Corto and basso have four common forms, while breve has one singular form and one plural form. The noun’s grammatical gender determines the ending, rather than the English translation.
- un vestito corto — a short dress; masculine singular
- una gonna corta — a short skirt; feminine singular
- capelli corti — short hair; masculine plural
- maniche corte — short sleeves; feminine plural
- un breve viaggio — a short trip; masculine singular
- una breve visita — a short visit; feminine singular
- brevi visite — short visits; plural
The same agreement applies when the adjective follows essere, “to be.” Il vestito è corto means “The dress is short,” while Le maniche sono corte means “The sleeves are short.” Moving the adjective into a separate statement does not remove the need to match the noun.
Useful Expressions with Short
In breve means “briefly” or “in short.” You can use it to introduce a concise explanation: Ti spiego tutto in breve — “I’ll explain everything to you briefly.” Brevemente also means “briefly,” as in Puoi rispondere brevemente? — “Can you answer briefly?”
Una scorciatoia is “a shortcut,” such as a shorter route to a place. It is a separate noun, not a form of corto. Un cortometraggio is “a short film”; you may also hear un corto when the film context is clear.
For “a little shorter,” use un po’ più corto with a masculine singular noun. If you are discussing a skirt, say un po’ più corta. For a shorter explanation, una spiegazione più breve is a useful expression. In this comparison, un po’ means “a little” and più means “more”. Keep checking what the adjective describes.
Example Sentences
These examples show why the meaning matters as much as the English word. Each sentence chooses an adjective appropriate to length, time, or height.
Use: Capelli is masculine plural, so the adjective is corti. Più creates the comparison “shorter.”
Use: Breve describes the duration of the break. Its singular form works with the feminine noun pausa.
Use: Basso describes height. Più basso di introduces a comparison with another person.
Common Mistakes
Do not choose corto solely because you see “short” in English. A person’s height usually calls for basso, and a short break naturally uses breve. There can be overlap in other contexts, so learn familiar combinations instead of trying to force one word into every sentence.
Also avoid leaving the adjective in masculine singular after every noun. Say maniche corte, not maniche corto. Keep the fixed phrase a corto di separate from ordinary adjective agreement. Finally, remember that “shortly” can mean “soon” in English, which may need presto or tra poco, rather than a word meaning “briefly.”
Frequently Asked Questions About Short in Italian
Tap a question below to see the answer.
What is the Italian word for short?
It depends on the meaning. Corto commonly describes physical length, breve describes duration or concision, and basso describes a person’s height.
How do you say short hair?
Say capelli corti. Capelli is masculine plural, so corto changes to corti. For “I have short hair,” say Ho i capelli corti.
What is the difference between corto and breve?
Corto is a useful choice for physical length, while breve is natural for a short period or concise expression. Their uses can overlap, so learn phrases such as una gonna corta and una breve pausa.
How do I describe a short person?
Use basso or bassa according to the person or noun being described. È basso means “He is short,” while una persona bassa means “a short person.”
How do I say I am short of time?
Say Sono a corto di tempo. The fixed expression essere a corto di describes not having enough of something.
Does breve have a feminine form?
The singular form breve works with both masculine and feminine nouns. Its plural is brevi: un breve viaggio, una breve visita, and brevi visite.
Summary
Short in Italian can be corto, breve, or basso. Choose according to the meaning: physical length, duration or concision, or height. Practice capelli corti, una breve pausa, and una persona bassa as complete expressions.
Match the adjective to its noun, and keep a corto di for “short of” something. Once you identify what kind of shortness you mean, the right Italian word becomes much easier to choose.
