Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| parte superior | /paɾte supeɾjoɾ/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
| cima | /ˈθima/ /ˈsima/ |
feminine |
| parte de más arriba | /paɾte de mas ariba/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
| parte de arriba | /paɾte de ariba/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
| parte de encima | /paɾte de enθima/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /paɾte de ensima/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
feminine |
The word "top" refers to the uppermost part of something.
Which one should you use?
Use cima specifically to refer to the summit or peak of a mountain, or to a pinnacle of achievement. For a general upper section, such as the top of a page, a building or a list, use parte superior. If you are referring to the top part of a physical object like a box or a drawer, parte de arriba is common. Note that parte de encima often implies being positioned on top of something else in a superimposed sense. When you specifically mean the highest point or apex, el punto más alto is a suitable formal option.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When describing being at the top of a mountain, the preposition en is used with cima, forming the phrase en la cima.
How do you pronounce it?
/paɾte supeɾjoɾ/
Did you know?
- The word cima is a distant relative of the Romanian word ciumă, which means 'plague' or 'pestilence'.
Examples in context
- Subimos a la cima.We climbed to the top.This sentence is useful for describing the action of climbing to a peak using cima.Tatoeba #1940255 by teskmon, translation #1543550 by JimBreen
- Estoy en la cima del mundo.I'm on top of the world.This sentence shows how to express the idiom of being on top of the world using cima.Tatoeba #1264475 by marcelostockle, translation #240825 by CM
- La cima de la montaña es plana.The top of that mountain is flat.This sentence uses cima to describe a physical characteristic of a mountain top.Tatoeba #1976884 by marcelostockle, translation #68366 by CM
- La cima de la montaña está cubierta de nieveThe top of the mountain is covered in snow
- El título está en la parte superior de la páginaThe title is at the top of the page
- El punto más alto de la pirámide es inaccesibleThe top of the pyramid is inaccessible
- El profesor puso el tema más complicado al tope del examenThe teacher put the most difficult topic at the top of the exam
- 40 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and María are organizing books on a shelf.
- DanielPon este libro en la parte superior.Put this book on the top part.
- MaríaEstá muy alto, no llego a la parte superior.It is too high, I cannot reach the top part.
- DanielYo te ayudo, María.I will help you, María.
- MaríaGracias, Daniel, ya quedó arriba.Thanks, Daniel, it is now up there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “top” translations and entries cima, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries arriba, cima, de, más, parte, superior, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
