Con altura
by ROSALÍA & J Balvin
How to study this song
The card for “Con altura” is built from 78 study entries at B2-: 40 Spanish words, 10 adjectives and 28 verb forms. Work through the glossary first: altura, hondura and sabrosura are the words you will lean on most. This one leans on its verbs: 28 distinct forms against 10 adjectives, so conjugation is where the effort goes. At this level the words on their own are not the problem — it is the way they are put together that takes the work.
The words of this song, in six languages
Every word below is taken from this song and translated by us. Nothing here is the lyric itself — these are the individual words you need in order to follow it.
Vocabulary
| ES | EN | IT | FR | PT | NL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| altura | height, class | altezza, classe | hauteur, classe | altura, classe | hoogte, klasse |
| hondura | depth | profondità |
Adjectives
| ES | EN | IT | FR | PT | NL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| pura | pure | pura | pure | pura | puur |
| dura | hard, lasting | dura | dur, qui dure |
Verb forms
| ES | EN | IT | FR | PT | NL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| arrancarlo | to kick it off | farlo partire | le lancer | arrancá-lo | het starten |
| canto | I sing | canto |
What this song teaches you
Level · B2-
- Vocabulary words
- 40
- Adjectives
- 10
- Word combos
- 4
- Expressions
- 10
- Verb forms
- 28
- Quiz questions
- 35
Background
About the song
Recorded with J Balvin and produced with El Guincho, «Con altura» put Rosalía’s flamenco training inside a reggaeton frame without softening either side. The title is the thesis: do it with class. She names Héctor Lavoe and keeps Camarón de la Isla in the glove compartment, which places the song deliberately between two traditions — Puerto Rican salsa and Andalusian flamenco — rather than choosing one.
Did you know?
Nine of its rhymes end in the same Spanish suffix, running from height and depth through mischief and cure all the way to the grave; the rhyme scheme is doing as much work as the lyric.
Charts & streaming
Released on 28 March 2019. It became one of the most-viewed Spanish-language videos of its year and a turning point in Rosalía’s international reach.