Breakdown of El gato está arriba, en la cama.
el gato
the cat
en
in / on / at
estar
to be (location/state)
la cama
the bed
Questions & Answers about El gato está arriba, en la cama.
Why is arriba used for "upstairs" instead of a preposition like encima de?
Encima de needs an object—it means "on top of [something]." Arriba is a direction or place word meaning "up" or "upstairs" all by itself. You use arriba for the general area (upstairs) and prepositions like encima de for position relative to something else.
Could I say encima de la cama instead of en la cama?
Does arriba always mean "upstairs"?
Not always. It generally means "up" or "above." In a house, it naturally means "upstairs," but outside it could just mean "up high." Its opposite, meaning "down" or "downstairs," is abajo.