Acima vs. A Cima: How to Write ‘Above’ in Portuguese
Acima is the standard one-word adverb meaning ‘above’; a cima appears in a small number of directional constructions.
Real Life Portuguese · 5 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
Acima is one word when it means ‘above,’ ‘higher up,’ or ‘over.’ It can refer to a physical position, a number that exceeds a reference point, or information earlier in a document. It is usually followed by de before a noun or number: acima da porta, acima de cem.
Use acima for a higher position or amount
This is the form you need in most everyday sentences about height, rank, temperature, price, or a section already mentioned.
O quadro está acima do sofá.
The painting is above the sofa.
A temperatura passou de trinta graus.
The temperature went above thirty degrees.
Como expliquei acima, a inscrição é gratuita.
As I explained above, registration is free.
Recognize a cima in a direction from bottom to top
A cima is a preposition plus the noun cima. It appears especially in the expression de baixo a cima (from bottom to top), where the paired prepositions de and a describe the direction across a vertical space. This construction is much less common than the one-word adverb acima.
Do not write a cima when you simply mean ‘above.’ If you are unsure, try the sentence with acima de: if that fits, use the single word.
A equipe revisou o relatório de baixo a cima.
The team reviewed the report from bottom to top.
A criança olhou o prédio de baixo a cima.
The child looked at the building from bottom to top.
O texto citado acima está no primeiro parágrafo.
The text cited above is in the first paragraph.
Put it into practice
Write acima as one word for the ordinary meaning ‘above.’ Keep a cima as two words in the directional phrase de baixo a cima.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “As I explained above, registration is free”?
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