dar la talla
verbCEFR B2
What does “dar la talla” mean in English?
to measure up, to come up to scratch
to measure up, to come up to scratch (to meet the required standard; often negative: no dio la talla)
Example sentences
El candidato no dio la talla en las pruebas técnicas y no fue seleccionado.
The candidate didn't measure up in the technical tests and wasn't selected.
Veremos si la nueva política da la talla o si necesitamos complementarla con otras medidas.
We'll see if the new policy measures up or whether we need to supplement it with other measures.
El producto ha dado la talla en todas las pruebas de resistencia.
The product has passed all resistance tests with flying colours.
How to use it
Dar la talla (literally 'to give the height', from military conscription) means 'to measure up', 'to come up to scratch', 'to be up to standard'. It is used to assess whether a person, product, or plan meets the required standard. Construction: dar la talla (intransitive, often in negative or conditional): 'no dio la talla', 'si da la talla'. Contrast with cumplir los requisitos (to meet requirements, more administrative) and estar a la altura (near synonym).
Common mistake
La talla (the height/size) in this phrase is a measure of adequacy, not physical size. Don't confuse with estar a la moda (to be fashionable, nothing to do with standards). Estar a la altura is a close synonym. The phrase can apply to people, products, or plans — any entity under evaluation.