¡Arriba, abajo, al centro, pa' dentro! Personally, I consider this piece of Spanish a "must know". Maybe that's because I spend so much time in bars when I go to Mexico, but that's another story, albeit related.

My Spanish Notes

This blog is a collection of the things I learn from talking with native Spanish speakers on my quest to become bilingual. No grammar, no verb conjugations, no "book" Spanish - just real Spanish I learn from real conversations.

¡Arriba, abajo, al centro, pa' dentro!

Personally, I consider this piece of Spanish a "must know".  Maybe that's because I spend so much time in bars when I go to Mexico, but that's another story, albeit related.

It's pretty much a worldwide custom to make a toast while you have a few drinks friends or celebrate a special occasion.  In America, we say "cheers", as you well know.  But in Spanish, you say ¡salud!

But personally, I find that particular toast a bit plain, which brings us to the topic of today's post.

¡Arriba, abajo, al centro, pa' dentro!

There's no real translation that I'm aware of, this is just something you memorize and say it right before you slam down your favorite tequila, or whatever your drink of choice is.

So here's how it works, so pay close attention (fijense bien) because the physical mechanics of this toast are crucial.  OK, maybe crucial is a bit much, but the motions come with the phrase.

At each step, be sure to "clink" or touch glasses.

"Arriba" (glass held high, you touch the rim of your glass)
"Abajo" (glass held low, you touch the bottom of your glass)
"Al centro" (glass held out in front, touch the middle of your glass)
"Pa' dentro or Adentro" (drink from glass immediately, bottoms up!)

Simple, right?  Well, I say you head to the closest cantina (bar) and practice this until you get it right.

¡Cuidense amigos!