arriba

/ah-RREE-bah/

up

A small red box floating high in the air above a vast, flat green field, illustrating the concept of 'up' or 'above'.

As an adverb, arriba means 'up' or 'above' (in a higher position).

arriba(Adverb)

General direction

above

In a higher position

upstairs

On a higher floor of a building

Also:

overhead

Directly in the sky or ceiling

📝 In Action

Mira hacia arriba, ¡un avión!

Look up, an airplane!

Mis abuelos viven en el piso de arriba.

My grandparents live on the floor above / upstairs.

Por favor, pon la caja arriba en el armario.

Please, put the box up on the wardrobe.

Word Connections

Synonyms

encima (on top of)

Antonyms

abajo (down, below)

Common Collocations

de arriba a abajo – from top to bottom
manos arriba – hands up
calle arriba – up the street
río arriba – upstream

💡 Grammar Points

Arriba vs. Encima de

'Arriba' means 'up' in a general direction (Mira arriba - Look up). 'Encima de' means 'on top of' a specific thing (El libro está encima de la mesa - The book is on top of the table).

A vs. Hacia

You can say 'hacia arriba' (towards up) or 'para arriba' (for up) to emphasize the direction of movement. They are often interchangeable.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Location vs. Action

Mistake: "Yo arriba las escaleras."

Correction: Yo subo las escaleras. 'Arriba' tells you WHERE something is (a location), while 'subir' is the ACTION of going up.

⭐ Usage Tips

General Location

Use 'arriba' when you don't need to be super specific about what something is on top of. If you just want to say something is 'up there,' 'arriba' is perfect.

A child with a wide smile, raising both arms high above their head in an enthusiastic cheering gesture.

As an interjection, ¡Arriba! is used for energetic encouragement, meaning 'Come on!' or 'Get up!'

arriba(Interjection)

Come on!

Encouragement

Get up!

Waking someone up or telling them to stand

Also:

Hooray!

Cheering for a team or person

Let's go!

Motivation

📝 In Action

¡Arriba, equipo, que podemos ganar!

Come on, team, we can win!

¡Arriba, dormilón! Ya son las diez.

Get up, sleepyhead! It's already ten o'clock.

¡Arriba ese ánimo! Todo va a estar bien.

Cheer up! (Literally: Up with that spirit!) Everything is going to be okay.

Word Connections

Synonyms

¡Vamos! (Let's go!)
¡Dale! (Go for it!)
¡Ánimo! (Cheer up!)

⭐ Usage Tips

Tone is Key

When used like this, 'arriba' is all about energy. Say it with enthusiasm to motivate, cheer, or wake someone up. It's almost always surrounded by exclamation points!

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: arriba

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'arriba' to talk about a general location rather than to give encouragement?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

arribar(to arrive (by sea or air), to land) - verb

arribista(social climber, opportunist) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the real difference between 'arriba' and 'encima'?

'Arriba' is more general, meaning 'up' or 'above' without needing to be directly on something. You can look 'arriba' at the sky. 'Encima' means 'on top of' and usually implies direct contact. You use it as 'encima de algo' (on top of something), like 'las llaves están encima de la mesa' (the keys are on the table).

Can I say 'arriba de la mesa'?

Yes, you can, and many people do! It's very common in Latin America. In Spain, it's more common to hear 'encima de la mesa'. Both are understood perfectly. Using 'encima de' is often considered slightly more standard, but 'arriba de' is widespread and correct in many regions.