Spanish Adverbs of Place: Aquí, Allí, Cerca and Lejos
Learn how Spanish expresses place, location and direction with adverbs such as aquí, acá, ahí, allí, allá, cerca, lejos, arriba, abajo, dentro, fuera, delante, detrás, encima and debajo.
Why Spanish adverbs of place matter
Adverbs of place are essential for everyday Spanish because they help you say where people are, where objects are located, where actions happen and where movement goes. They connect strongly with verbs such as estar, vivir, ir, venir, poner and quedarse.
How to use this page
Use this page after learning basic adverbs and verbs of location. First study here/there words, then distance words, vertical position and inside/outside expressions.
If the word answers where something is or happens, it may be an adverb of place: ¿Dónde vives? — Aquí.
Use aquí/acá for here, ahí for there near the listener, and allí/allá for there farther away.
Some forms stand alone, but many location structures use de: cerca de la casa, delante de la puerta.
The core system: here, there, near and far
Here and there
Use aquí/acá, ahí and allí/allá to locate something relative to speaker and listener.
Estoy aquí. · Ponlo ahí. · Vamos allá.
Near and far
Use cerca and lejos for distance. Add de before a noun.
Está cerca. · Vive lejos de aquí.
Inside, outside, above and below
Use place adverbs for spatial position and direction.
dentro · fuera · arriba · abajo · delante · detrás
Spanish adverbs of place at a glance
These adverbs and adverbial expressions describe place, position, distance or direction.
| Adverb | Main meaning | Example | English meaning | Grammar note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| aquí | here | Estoy aquí. | I am here. | Precise “here”. |
| acá | here, over here | Ven acá. | Come here. | Very common in many Latin American varieties. |
| ahí | there, there near you | Déjalo ahí. | Leave it there. | Often near the listener or a visible place. |
| allí | there, over there | Vive allí. | He/she lives there. | More precise than allá in many contexts. |
| allá | over there, that way | Vamos allá. | We are going over there. | Often broader or directional. |
| cerca | near | Está cerca. | It is near. | Use cerca de before a noun. |
| lejos | far | Vive lejos. | He/she lives far away. | Use lejos de before a noun. |
| arriba | up, upstairs, above | Está arriba. | It is upstairs / above. | Place or direction depending on verb. |
| abajo | down, downstairs, below | Está abajo. | It is downstairs / below. | Place or direction depending on verb. |
| dentro | inside | Está dentro. | It is inside. | Use dentro de before a noun phrase. |
| fuera | outside | Estoy fuera. | I am outside. | Use fuera de before a noun phrase. |
| delante | in front | Está delante. | It is in front. | Use delante de before a noun. |
| detrás | behind | Está detrás. | It is behind. | Use detrás de before a noun. |
Aquí, acá, ahí, allí and allá
Spanish has several “here” and “there” words. They depend on distance, speaker perspective, listener perspective and regional usage.
| Adverb | Basic meaning | Example | Use note |
|---|---|---|---|
| aquí | here | Estoy aquí. | Often more precise than acá. |
| acá | here, over here | Ven acá. | Very common in Latin America; can sound more directional. |
| ahí | there | Pon el libro ahí. | Often near the listener or a visible place. |
| allí | there, over there | La escuela está allí. | Can point to a more specific distant place. |
| allá | over there, that way | Vamos allá. | Often broader, less exact or directional. |
Aquí trabajo. — I work here.
Ven acá, por favor. — Come here, please.
Deja la mochila ahí. — Leave the backpack there.
Mis amigos viven allí. — My friends live there.
Vamos allá mañana. — We are going over there tomorrow.
Cerca and lejos
Cerca means “near” and lejos means “far”. They can stand alone or be followed by de before a noun or place expression.
| Standalone adverb | With de | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Está cerca. | Está cerca de la escuela. | It is near / near the school. |
| Vive lejos. | Vive lejos del centro. | He/she lives far away / far from downtown. |
| Trabajo cerca. | Trabajo cerca de casa. | I work nearby / near home. |
| No está lejos. | No está lejos de aquí. | It is not far / not far from here. |
Arriba and abajo
Arriba means “up”, “above” or “upstairs”. Abajo means “down”, “below” or “downstairs”. They can refer to place or direction depending on the verb.
El dormitorio está arriba. — The bedroom is upstairs.
La cocina está abajo. — The kitchen is downstairs.
Sube arriba. — Go up / upstairs.
Baja abajo. — Go down / downstairs.
Mira arriba. — Look up.
With verbs of location such as estar, these adverbs describe position. With verbs of movement, they can describe direction.
Dentro and fuera
Dentro means “inside” and fuera means “outside”. Before a noun phrase, Spanish normally uses de: dentro de, fuera de.
| Standalone | With de | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Estoy dentro. | Estoy dentro de la casa. | I am inside / inside the house. |
| El perro está fuera. | El perro está fuera del jardín. | The dog is outside / outside the garden. |
| Déjalo dentro. | Déjalo dentro de la caja. | Leave it inside / inside the box. |
| Vamos fuera. | Vamos fuera de la ciudad. | We are going outside / out of the city. |
Delante, detrás, encima and debajo
These adverbs describe relative position. When you mention the reference object, use de: delante de, detrás de, encima de, debajo de.
| Adverbial form | With de | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| delante | delante de | in front of | Está delante de la casa. |
| detrás | detrás de | behind | Está detrás de la puerta. |
| encima | encima de | on top of, above | Está encima de la mesa. |
| debajo | debajo de | under, below | Está debajo de la cama. |
El coche está delante. — The car is in front.
El jardín está detrás. — The garden is behind.
El libro está encima. — The book is on top.
El gato está debajo. — The cat is underneath.
Position of Spanish adverbs of place
Adverbs of place often appear after the verb or at the end of the sentence. They can also appear at the beginning when the place is used as the topic or frame.
| Common position | Example | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| After the verb | Estoy aquí. | I am here. | Neutral and common. |
| End of sentence | Trabajo cerca de aquí. | I work near here. | Common with place expressions. |
| Beginning position | Aquí vivimos tranquilos. | Here we live peacefully. | Place frames the sentence. |
| After movement verb | Vamos allá. | We are going over there. | Direction or destination. |
Learn general word order here: Position of Adverbs in Spanish.
Adverbs of place with estar, ir and venir
Place adverbs are especially common with verbs of location and movement. Use estar for location, ir for going and venir for coming.
| Verb | Example | Meaning | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| estar | Estoy aquí. | I am here. | Location |
| estar | La escuela está cerca. | The school is nearby. | Location or distance |
| ir | Voy allá. | I am going over there. | Movement away or toward a place |
| venir | Ven acá. | Come here. | Movement toward the speaker |
| quedarse | Me quedo aquí. | I am staying here. | Remaining in a place |
Review ser and estar here: Ser and Estar in Spanish.
Adverbs of place vs prepositional phrases
Some place words can stand alone as adverbs. When they introduce a noun phrase, Spanish often needs de. This creates expressions such as cerca de, lejos de, dentro de and delante de.
| Standalone adverb | With noun phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Está cerca. | Está cerca de la casa. | It is near / near the house. |
| Está lejos. | Está lejos del centro. | It is far / far from downtown. |
| Está dentro. | Está dentro de la caja. | It is inside / inside the box. |
| Está delante. | Está delante de la puerta. | It is in front / in front of the door. |
Practical rule: if the place word is followed by a noun or noun phrase, check whether you need de.
Place and direction
Some place adverbs describe static location, while others can describe direction depending on the verb. Movement verbs make the direction clearer.
Estoy aquí. — I am here. Location.
Ven aquí. — Come here. Direction toward this place.
Estoy arriba. — I am upstairs. Location.
Sube arriba. — Go upstairs. Direction.
Vive allá. — He/she lives over there. Location.
Vamos allá. — We are going over there. Direction.
When to use Spanish adverbs of place
Use aquí, ahí, allí
Use these to say where someone or something is.
Estoy aquí. · Déjalo ahí. · Vive allí.
Use cerca and lejos
Use these to say whether something is near or far.
Está cerca. · Vive lejos de aquí.
Use delante, detrás, encima, debajo
Use these to describe spatial relationships.
delante de la casa · debajo de la mesa
Related grammar topics
Spanish Adverbs
Learn how adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, other adverbs and full sentences.
Position of Adverbs
Learn why place adverbs often appear after the verb or at the end of the sentence.
Adverbs of Time
Compare where something happens with when something happens.
Spanish Verbs
Use place adverbs with verbs of location, movement and everyday action.
Ser and Estar
Use estar with location: Estoy aquí, La casa está cerca.
Sentence Structures
Build full sentences with place, time, manner and verb structure.
Typical mistakes with Spanish adverbs of place
- Confusing aquí, ahí and allí: use them according to distance and speaker/listener perspective.
- Forgetting de before a noun: say cerca de la casa, not cerca la casa.
- Using ser for location: for temporary or physical location, use estar: Estoy aquí.
- Confusing arriba and encima de: arriba can mean upstairs/above; encima de means on top of something.
- Confusing place and direction: Estoy aquí is location; Ven aquí is movement toward the place.
Where to go next
After adverbs of place, continue with adverb position, time adverbs and verbs. These topics explain where place words appear and how they connect with location and movement.
Want personal guidance?
If Spanish place words feel confusing, individual guidance can help you practise aquí, ahí, allí, acá, allá, cerca, lejos, dentro, fuera, word order and the difference between adverbs and prepositional phrases.
FAQ: Spanish adverbs of place
What are Spanish adverbs of place?
Spanish adverbs of place tell where something is, where something happens or where something moves. Examples include aquí, acá, ahí, allí, allá, cerca, lejos, dentro and fuera.
What is the difference between aquí, ahí and allí?
Aquí means “here”, ahí means “there” often near the listener or a visible place, and allí means “there/over there” farther away.
What is the difference between aquí and acá?
Both can mean “here”. Aquí is often more precise, while acá can sound broader or more directional and is very common in many Latin American varieties.
What is the difference between allí and allá?
Allí often points to a more specific distant place. Allá can be broader, less exact or more directional, depending on context.
Do Spanish adverbs of place need de?
Many place adverbs stand alone, but when they are followed by a noun phrase, Spanish often uses de: cerca de la casa, dentro de la caja, delante de la puerta.
Where do adverbs of place go in Spanish?
Adverbs of place often go after the verb or at the end of the sentence: Estoy aquí, Vive lejos, La escuela está cerca.
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