¡Arriba!
casual, slang
Spanish speakers often shout ¡Arriba! to get someone out of bed. ¡Espabila! is the Spanish way to say "wake up and get going", and ¡Ponte las pilas! is the Latin American one.
Meaning: wake up or get moving (verb)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| ¡Arriba! | casual, slang |
| ¡Espabila! | casual, Spain |
| ¡Ponte las pilas! | casual, Latin America |
¡Arriba! literally means "up" and is used for a sleeper. The other two phrases also work when someone is slow or not paying attention.
Which one should you use?
Espabilar is used in Spain, and in Latin America people say Ponte las pilas, literally "put in your batteries". The plain verb is despertarse.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain the command is ¡Espabila! In Mexico and much of Latin America ¡Ponte las pilas! is more natural.
Did you know?
- The expression ponerse las pilas uses pilas for batteries, and the phrase is a common idiom for "get your act together".
Examples in context
- ¡Arriba, que ya es tarde!Up you get, it is already late!
- ¡Espabila, que perdemos el tren!Wake up, we will miss the train!
- Ponte las pilas, que tienes examen.Get moving, you have an exam.
Example conversation
Mamá wakes her son Nico on a school morning.
- Mamá¡Arriba, Nico!Up, Nico!
- NicoCinco minutos más.Five more minutes.
- Mamá¡Espabila, que llegas tarde!Wake up, you will be late!
