What does arriba in Spanish mean?

What is the meaning of the word arriba in Spanish? The article explains the full meaning, pronunciation along with bilingual examples and instructions on how to use arriba in Spanish.

The word arriba in Spanish means above, above, come on!, arrive, arrive, land, light, cheer up!, upstream, on top of, , face up, search high and low, uphill, from above, from overhead, from the top, the people upstairs, from up there, the powers that be, from top to bottom, at the top, be hard work, be a struggle, be an uphill climb, up, up to here, have had it up to here with, look up and down, upstream, upriver, all upside down, come from above, raise your spirits, get on top. To learn more, please see the details below.

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Meaning of the word arriba

above

adverbio (en la zona alta) (higher than)

(adverb: Describes a verb, adjective, adverb, or clause--for example, "come quickly," "very rare," "happening now," "fall down.")
En esa pila de troncos, arriba están los más pequeños.
ⓘEsta oración no es una traducción de la original. This house is unusual because the kitchen's upstairs.

above

adverbio (escrito: ya mencionado) (earlier in a text)

(adverb: Describes a verb, adjective, adverb, or clause--for example, "come quickly," "very rare," "happening now," "fall down.")
Según se dice arriba, los daños fueron cuantiosos.
ⓘEsta oración no es una traducción de la original. This paragraph seems to contradict the one above.

come on!

interjección (dando ánimo)

(interjection: Exclamation--for example, "Oh no!" "Wow!")
¡Arriba! Todavía queda media hora de partido.
Come on! There are still thirty minutes left to play.

arrive

verbo intransitivo (llegar a puerto)

(intransitive verb: Verb not taking a direct object--for example, "She jokes." "He has arrived.")
El crucero arribará al puerto por la mañana.
The cruise ship will arrive at the port in the morning.

arrive, land, light

verbo intransitivo (llegar a un sitio)

(intransitive verb: Verb not taking a direct object--for example, "She jokes." "He has arrived.")
El tren arribó a la ciudad con dos horas de demora.
The train arrived into the city two hours behind schedule.

cheer up!

locución interjectiva (para motivar, animar)

(interjection: Exclamation--for example, "Oh no!" "Wow!")
¡Arriba el ánimo! Todavía no hemos perdido.
Cheer up! We haven't lost yet.

upstream

locución adverbial (sentido opuesto)

(adverb: Describes a verb, adjective, adverb, or clause--for example, "come quickly," "very rare," "happening now," "fall down.")
La boca del río se encuentra aguas arriba de la corriente.
The mouth of the river is found upstream of the current.

on top of

locución adverbial (AmL (encima de)

(adverb: Describes a verb, adjective, adverb, or clause--for example, "come quickly," "very rare," "happening now," "fall down.")
He puesto los libros arriba de la estantería para que el niño no alcance.
I have put the books above the bookcase so the boy can't reach them.

locución adverbial (de un lado a otro)

Manuel va arriba y abajo con su moto.

face up

locución adverbial (mirando al cielo)

(adverb: Describes a verb, adjective, adverb, or clause--for example, "come quickly," "very rare," "happening now," "fall down.")
Mi esposo ronca por las noches cuando se acuesta boca arriba.
My husband snores at night when he sleeps face up.

search high and low

locución verbal (por todas partes)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
¿Dónde estabas? Te busqué de arriba a abajo.
Where were you? I searched high and low for you.

uphill

locución adverbial (ascendente)

(adverb: Describes a verb, adjective, adverb, or clause--for example, "come quickly," "very rare," "happening now," "fall down.")
Costó manejar cuesta arriba por la montaña.
It was difficult to drive uphill up the mountain.

from above, from overhead

locución adverbial (desde la parte alta)

(preposition: Relates noun or pronoun to another element of sentence--for example, "a picture of John," "She walked from my house to yours.")
Si me miras de arriba no me doy cuenta. Tiró el libro de arriba y se dañó la portada.
If you look at me from above I can't tell.

from the top

locución adjetiva (orden, mandato)

Es una decisión de arriba; no la discutas.
It is a decision from the top; don't fight it.

the people upstairs

locución nominal masculina plural (del piso de arriba)

(plural noun: Noun always used in plural form--for example, "jeans," "scissors.")
Diles a los de arriba que dejen de hacer ruido.
Tell the people upstairs to stop making noise.

from up there

locución adverbial (enviar, arrojar)

(preposition: Relates noun or pronoun to another element of sentence--for example, "a picture of John," "She walked from my house to yours.")
Tiró el libro de arriba y se dañó la portada.
He threw the book from up there and damaged the cover.

the powers that be

locución nominal masculina plural (figurado (los poderosos) (government)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Los de arriba hacen con nosotros lo que quieren.
We are at the mercy of the powers that be.

from top to bottom

locución adverbial (por completo) (check: luggage)

(adverb: Describes a verb, adjective, adverb, or clause--for example, "come quickly," "very rare," "happening now," "fall down.")
Revisaron la maleta de arriba a abajo.
They checked the suitcase from top to bottom.

at the top

locución adverbial (en lo alto) (superlative)

(preposition: Relates noun or pronoun to another element of sentence--for example, "a picture of John," "She walked from my house to yours.")
La caja fuerte está en la parte de arriba.
The safe is at the top.

be hard work, be a struggle

locución verbal (coloquial (parecer complicado)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Trabajar en verano se me hace cuesta arriba.

be an uphill climb

locución verbal (resultarle difícil)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Tener otro hijo se me hace cuesta arriba, ya no estoy en edad para esos trotes.
Having another child seems to be an uphill climb to me; I'm no longer at the age to do that.

up

locución adverbial (a lo alto)

(preposition: Relates noun or pronoun to another element of sentence--for example, "a picture of John," "She walked from my house to yours.")
El niño tomó la calle hacia arriba. La olla explotó y la tapa salió disparada hacia arriba.
ⓘEsta oración no es una traducción de la original. The girl looked up at the plane flying overhead.

up to here

locución adverbial (coloquial (harto, cansado)

(adverb: Describes a verb, adjective, adverb, or clause--for example, "come quickly," "very rare," "happening now," "fall down.")
Las tonterías de Luis tienen al jefe hasta arriba.

have had it up to here with

locución adverbial (coloquial (harto de algo)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Estoy hasta arriba de tus excusas; ¡estás despedido!
I've had it up to here with your excuses - you're fired!

look up and down

expresión (con desdén, con superioridad)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
¿Por qué me miras de arriba a abajo?
Why do you look me up and down?

upstream, upriver

locución adverbial (hacia el nacimiento)

(adverb: Describes a verb, adjective, adverb, or clause--for example, "come quickly," "very rare," "happening now," "fall down.")
La fuente de contaminación del agua se encuentra río arriba.
ⓘEsta oración no es una traducción de la original. The quality depends on the upstream process.

all upside down

locución adjetiva (desordenado) (literally)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")

come from above

locución verbal (orden, mandato)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
No hay nada que hacer; la orden viene de arriba.
There's nothing to say - the order has come from above.

raise your spirits, get on top

locución verbal (informal (recuperarse, recobrarse)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

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Spanish (español), also known as Castilla, is a language of the Iberian-Romance group of the Romance languages, and the 4th most common language in the world according to Some sources, while others list it as a 2nd or 3rd most common language. It is the mother tongue of about 352 million people, and is spoken by 417 million people when adding its speakers as a language. sub (estimated in 1999). Spanish and Portuguese have very similar grammar and vocabulary; The number of similar vocabulary of these two languages is up to 89%. Spanish is the primary language of 20 countries around the world. It is estimated that the total number of speakers of Spanish is between 470 and 500 million, making it the second most widely spoken language in the world by number of native speakers.