arriba
/aˈriba/
The English word 'upstairs' is translated into Spanish as arriba.
arriba can mean 'above' or 'on top', but when you are talking about a house or a building, it is the standard way to say 'upstairs'.
Meaning: up the stairs, on or to a higher floor or level (adv)
Which one should you use?
The antonym of arriba is abajo, which means 'downstairs', 'down' or 'below'.
How does it change in a sentence?
arriba is an adverb and does not change its form to agree with gender or number.
How do you pronounce it?
/aˈriba/
Did you know?
- The word arriba originates from the Latin word rīpam, which referred to a 'riverbank' or 'coast'.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, particularly in parts of the Caribbean, you might hear people use arriba as an exclamation to mean 'hurray!' or 'go!', rather than just a direction.
- In some Latin American dialects, arriba can be used to mean 'north', as in más arriba to describe a place further up the map.
Examples in context
- Sube las bolsas arriba.Take the bags upstairs.This sentence shows how to use arriba when moving objects upstairs.Tatoeba #1712102 by teskmon, translation #1540615 by CM
- Llévate a Tom para arriba.Take Tom upstairs.This sentence demonstrates using arriba when moving a person upstairs.Tatoeba #12128627 by camilo1903, translation #2235893 by CK
- Están arriba en sus cuartos.They're upstairs in their bedrooms.This sentence illustrates using arriba to describe where people are located in a building.Tatoeba #12018076 by emma_zunz, translation #7407992 by CH
- La sala de reuniones se encuentra en la planta superior.The meeting room is located upstairs.
- Estaré arriba.I'll be upstairs.
- Nuestros dormitorios están en la planta de arriba.Our bedrooms are upstairs.
- Necesito subir a la sala de reuniones, que se encuentra en la planta superior.I need to go up to the meeting room, which is located upstairs.
- ¿Podrías darme una mano para llevar esto arriba?Could you give me a hand to take this upstairs?
- 30 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are in the living room of their house.
- Sofía¿Está mi libro arriba?Is my book upstairs?
- JavierCreo que sí, lo dejaste arriba.I think so, you left it upstairs.
- SofíaVoy a buscarlo arriba.I am going to look for it upstairs.
- JavierTen cuidado al subir, Sofía.Be careful when going up, Sofía.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “upstairs” 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.
