altibajo

ups and downs

noun ahl-tee-BAH-hoh Rare

Also means

fluctuation

Usage Note

Altibajo (more commonly its plural altibajos) describes the highs and lows of a situation — los altibajos de la vida (the ups and downs of life), altibajos económicos (economic fluctuations). The singular is grammatically fine but the plural dominates in practice. It is a compound of alto (high) and bajo (low).

Examples

"La relación tuvo muchos altibajos."

Natural Translation

The relationship had many ups and downs.

Related Words

Explore Spanish by topic

SpanishNow

Spanish Subjunctive Explained Simply for Beginners

The Spanish subjunctive is a mood, not a tense — use it after a WEIRDO trigger plus que. Learn the one rule, the yo-form recipe, and the lines you already say.

June 9, 2026 5 min read

SpanishNow

El or La? Spanish Noun Gender Rules Made Simple

El or la? Spanish noun gender is ~99% readable off the word's ending. Learn the o/a defaults, LONERS, feminine endings, and the handful of rebels to memorize.

June 3, 2026 7 min read

SpanishNow

How to Introduce Yourself in Spanish: 12 Real Phrases

Introduce yourself in Spanish with 12 ready-to-speak phrases — name, origin, age, and job — in both tú and usted, with the verb traps that trip up beginners.

June 9, 2026 5 min read

SpanishNow

Preterite vs. Imperfect: Spanish Past Tense Made Easy

Preterite vs. imperfect: use the preterite for finished events, the imperfect for ongoing scenery. A trigger-word cheat sheet, flowchart, and examples.

June 9, 2026 6 min read