Breakdown of El elevador va arriba y abajo.
y
and
ir
to go
arriba
up, upstairs
abajo
down, downstairs
el elevador
the elevator (LatAm)
Questions & Answers about El elevador va arriba y abajo.
Why does this sentence use arriba and abajo instead of encima and debajo?
Encima (on top) and debajo (underneath) usually describe where something is in relation to a specific object, like a book on a table. Arriba (up) and abajo (down) are used for general direction or location. Since the elevator is just moving "up" and "down" without us stating what it is above or below, arriba and abajo are the natural choices.
Do I ever need to add de to these words, like the prepositions in this lesson?
Not in this sentence. Because the elevator is just going "up" and "down", arriba and abajo stand alone. You will sometimes hear arriba de (above) and abajo de (below) in Latin America when describing where something is compared to another object, but they don't need de when used as simple directions.
Why is it va arriba and not va a arriba?
I've seen the word ascensor before. Is elevador just as common?
Yes! In Latin America, you will hear both elevador and ascensor used for "elevator." They mean the exact same thing, and you will be perfectly understood using either one.
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