arriba
/aˈriba/
The Spanish word for up is arriba.
The adverb arriba describes movement or position away from the earth's surface. It can also function as an interjection. In casual settings, shouting ¡Arriba! can be used to call attention to someone or signal that someone is located in an upper area.
Meaning: away from earth’s surface (adv)
Which one should you use?
The antonym of arriba is abajo, which means down.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Caribbean and Central American countries, the colloquial contraction pa'rriba is used instead of para arriba.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that something is 'above' or 'on top of' a specific object, use the prepositional phrase arriba de. To specifically describe the direction 'toward the top' or the state of 'facing upwards', you can use the phrase hacia arriba.
How do you pronounce it?
/aˈriba/
Did you know?
- The word arriba originally comes from the Latin words for 'at' and 'bank', referring to the shore of a river.
- While arriba means 'up', it is frequently used in the common phrase ¡Arriba! to mean 'Long live!' or 'Let's go!', such as in the patriotic shout ¡Viva México, arriba México!
- While arriba means 'up', Spanish uses the word alto to describe both 'tall' and 'loud', which are two different concepts in English.
Examples in context
- ¡Oye tú! ¡Acá arriba!Hey you! Up here!This sentence shows how to use arriba to signal location.Tatoeba #2361091 by marcelostockle, translation #2358617 by megamanenm
- No mires hacia arriba.Don't look up.This sentence uses arriba to indicate a direction of looking.Tatoeba #4552977 by DarkHollow, translation #4394849 by CK
- Tom miró hacia arriba.Tom looked up.This sentence shows the use of arriba for looking upward.Tatoeba #9432168 by ignacio, translation #2237195 by CK
- ¡Salta para arriba!Jump up!
- Me subo al autobús para ir a la ciudad.I get on the bus to go to the city.
- Lanza el balón pa'rriba.Throw the ball up.
- 41 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro are looking at a high shelf in a store.
- Lucía¿Ves ese estante de arriba?Do you see that shelf up there?
- AlejandroSí, pero está muy alto.Yes, but it is very high.
- LucíaNo puedo alcanzar nada arriba.I cannot reach anything up there.
- AlejandroYo te ayudo, Lucía.I will help you, Lucía.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “up” translations and entries arriba, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries arriba, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
