How to Say "upstairs" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “upstairs” is “arriba” — A1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
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.
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.
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.
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