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Spanish Adverbs of Place: Aquí, Allí, Cerca and Lejos

Learn how Spanish describes location, distance and direction with aquí, acá, ahí, allí, allá, cerca, lejos, arriba, abajo, dentro, fuera, delante, detrás, encima and debajo.

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Basic question: adverbs of place answer ¿Dónde? — “Where?”
Spanish adverbs of place aquí acá ahí allí allá cerca lejos arriba abajo dentro and fuera
Spanish place adverbs explain where someone or something is, where an action happens or where something moves.

Definition

What are Spanish adverbs of place?

Spanish adverbs of place describe where someone or something is, where an action happens or where movement is directed. They can indicate distance, position, direction and spatial relationships.

Location

Estoy aquí.
I am here.

Distance

La escuela está cerca.
The school is nearby.

Direction

Vamos allá.
We are going over there.

Overview

Spanish adverbs of place at a glance

Form Meaning Spanish example English meaning Use
aquí here Estoy aquí. I am here. Place near the speaker
acá here, over here Ven acá. Come here. Common in Latin America
ahí there Déjalo ahí. Leave it there. Place away from the speaker
allí there, over there Vive allí. He or she lives there. Often a specific distant place
allá over there, that way Vamos allá. We are going over there. Often broader or directional
cerca near Está cerca. It is nearby. Use cerca de before a noun
lejos far Vive lejos. He or she lives far away. Use lejos de before a noun
arriba up, upstairs, above Está arriba. It is upstairs. Position or direction
abajo down, downstairs, below Está abajo. It is downstairs. Position or direction
dentro inside Está dentro. It is inside. Use dentro de before a noun
fuera outside Estoy fuera. I am outside. Use fuera de before a noun
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
encima on top, above Está encima. It is on top. Use encima de before a noun
debajo under, below Está debajo. It is underneath. Use debajo de before a noun
Remember: aquí = here · ahí = there · allí = over there

Here and there

Aquí, acá, ahí, allí and allá

Spanish uses several words for “here” and “there”. Their use depends on distance, context and regional preference. The distinctions are useful, but they are not identical in every Spanish-speaking country.

Form Usual meaning Spanish example Typical use
aquí here Trabajo aquí. A place near the speaker
acá here, over here Ven acá. Common with movement and in Latin America
ahí there Pon el libro ahí. A place away from the speaker or already identified
allí there, over there La escuela está allí. Often a specific distant place
allá over there, that way Vamos allá. Often a broader area or direction
Regional use varies.

In Argentina and many other Latin American countries, acá and allá are especially common. Speakers may use these forms more often than aquí and allí.

Distance

Cerca and lejos

Cerca means “near” or “nearby”. Lejos means “far” or “far away”. Both can stand alone.

Standalone form With a reference point English meaning
Está cerca. Está cerca de la escuela. It is nearby / near the school.
Vive lejos. Vive lejos del centro. He or 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.
Important: use de before a noun, pronoun or named place:
cerca de mí · lejos de Madrid · cerca del hotel

Inside, outside, up and down

Dentro, fuera, arriba and abajo

Interior

Dentro

Means inside.

El perro está dentro.
El perro está dentro de la casa.

Exterior

Fuera

Means outside.

Los niños están fuera.
Está fuera del edificio.

Vertical position

Arriba and abajo

Refer to a higher or lower place.

El dormitorio está arriba.
La cocina está abajo.

Arriba is not always the same as encima de.

Arriba can mean upstairs or in a higher place: La oficina está arriba. Encima de expresses a relationship between two things: El libro está encima de la mesa.

Relative position

Delante, detrás, encima and debajo

These forms describe the position of one thing in relation to another. Use de when the reference object is mentioned.

Form With reference object Meaning Spanish example
delante delante de in front of El coche está delante de la casa.
detrás detrás de behind El jardín está detrás de la casa.
encima encima de on top of, above El libro está encima de la mesa.
debajo debajo de under, below El gato está debajo de la cama.
Delante de and enfrente de are different.

Delante de means in front of something. Enfrente de normally means opposite or facing something: El banco está enfrente de la estación.

Using de

Place adverbs before nouns and pronouns

Many place adverbs can stand alone. When a noun, pronoun or named place follows, Spanish often uses de.

Without a reference object With a reference object English meaning
Está cerca. Está cerca de la casa. It is near / near the house.
Está lejos. Está lejos de aquí. It is far / far from here.
Está dentro. Está dentro de la caja. It is inside / inside the box.
Está fuera. Está fuera del edificio. It is outside / outside the building.
Está delante. Está delante de mí. It is in front / in front of me.
Está detrás. Está detrás de la puerta. It is behind / behind the door.

Location and movement

Place adverbs with estar, ir and venir

The verb shows whether the sentence describes a location or movement.

Verb Spanish example English 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 to another place
venir Ven acá. Come here. Movement toward the speaker
quedarse Me quedo aquí. I am staying here. Remaining in a place
Location normally uses estar, but events use ser.

La oficina está aquí. — The office is here.
La reunión es aquí. — The meeting is here.

Word order

Where do Spanish adverbs of place go?

Place adverbs commonly appear after the verb or at the end of the sentence. Beginning position gives the place stronger emphasis.

Position Spanish example English meaning Use
After the verb Estoy aquí. I am here. Neutral location
End of the sentence Mi hermano trabaja allí. My brother works there. Common neutral order
Beginning of the sentence Aquí vivimos tranquilos. Here we live peacefully. Emphasises the place
After a movement verb Vamos allá. We are going over there. Destination or direction

Learn more in Position of Adverbs in Spanish .

Exercises

Practice Spanish adverbs of place

Choose aquí, ahí or allí

  1. Estoy ___. — here with the speaker
  2. Deja el vaso ___. — there on the table
  3. La montaña está ___. — over there
Show answers

1. Estoy aquí.
2. Deja el vaso ahí.
3. La montaña está allí.

Add de when necessary

  1. Vive cerca ___ la escuela.
  2. El gato está debajo ___ la mesa.
  3. La mochila está dentro ___.
  4. Trabajo lejos ___ aquí.
Show answers

1. Vive cerca de la escuela.
2. El gato está debajo de la mesa.
3. La mochila está dentro.
4. Trabajo lejos de aquí.

Location or direction?

  1. Estoy aquí.
  2. Ven acá.
  3. Vive allá.
  4. Vamos allí.
Show answers

1. Location.
2. Direction toward the speaker.
3. Location.
4. Direction toward a destination.

Continue learning

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Common errors

Common mistakes with Spanish adverbs of place

  • Using aquí, ahí and allí as exact equivalents: their meaning depends on distance, context and regional usage.
  • Forgetting de: say cerca de la casa, not cerca la casa.
  • Using ser for the location of a person or object: say Estoy aquí and La casa está cerca.
  • Using estar for the location of an event: say La reunión es aquí.
  • Confusing arriba with encima de: arriba can mean upstairs; encima de means on top of something.
  • Confusing delante de with enfrente de: the first means in front of; the second usually means opposite or facing.
  • Ignoring regional differences: acá and allá are especially common in many Latin American countries.

Frequently asked questions

Questions about Spanish adverbs of place

What are Spanish adverbs of place?

They explain where something is, where an action happens or where something moves. Common 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 normally refers to a place away from the speaker or already identified. Allí normally refers to a more distant place.

What is the difference between aquí and acá?

Both can mean here. Aquí often identifies a particular location. Acá is especially common in Latin America and is frequently used with movement toward the speaker.

What is the difference between allí and allá?

Both refer to a place farther away. Allí often identifies a more specific place, while allá can refer to a broader area or direction. Regional use varies.

Do Spanish adverbs of place need de?

Many can stand alone. Before a noun or pronoun, expressions such as cerca de, lejos de, dentro de, delante de and detrás de require de.

Where do Spanish adverbs of place go?

They commonly appear after the verb or at the end of the sentence: Estoy aquí, Vive lejos and Mi hermano trabaja allí.

Practice and support

Practise Spanish place words in complete sentences

Place adverbs become easier when you practise distance, location, direction, expressions with de and common verbs such as estar, ir and venir.

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