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Eu vou para cima.

Eu vou para cima.
I am going up.
From Lesson 31:Asking the way (à direita, sempre em frente)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Breakdown of Eu vou para cima.

eu
I
ir
to go
para cima
up / upwards

Questions & Answers about Eu vou para cima.

Why is the translation "I am going" when vou means "I go"?
In Portuguese, the simple present tense (vou) is often used for actions happening right now, just like "I am going" in English. While you can also say estou a ir to specifically mean "I am going", simply saying Eu vou is very natural and common for this situation.
What does cima mean exactly?
Cima translates to "top" or "upper part". When you combine it with para (which means "to" or "towards"), the phrase para cima literally means "towards the top". English handles this with the single word "up".
Why do we need para here? Can I just say "Eu vou cima"?
You need para to show the direction of your movement. Because cima means "top", saying Eu vou cima would be like saying "I go top" in English. Adding para makes it "I go towards the top", which gives us "I go up".
Is vou a regular verb?
No, vou is the "I" form of the highly irregular verb ir, which means "to go". Because it is irregular, its forms don't follow the normal rules. You just have to memorize that eu vou means "I go".

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