a mi alrededor
/a mi alrededoɾ/from spelling rules
In Spanish, 'around me' is expressed as a mi alrededor.
The phrase a mi alrededor is commonly used with verbs of perception, such as mirar (to look) or sentir (to feel), to describe the immediate environment surrounding a person.
Which one should you use?
While a mi alrededor functions as an adverbial phrase describing the immediate vicinity, alrededor de mí is a more direct way to say 'around me' using a prepositional phrase.
How do you pronounce it?
/a mi alrededoɾ/
Did you know?
- The word alrededor is formed by adding the Arabic article al to the Spanish word rededor. This is a remnant of the centuries of Arabic influence on the Iberian Peninsula.
- Beyond physical space, a mi alrededor can be used metaphorically to refer to a person's social circle or a group of influential people.
- The word 'alrededor' is an adverb of place, but it can also function as an adverb of approximation. If you say 'alrededor de las diez', you are not describing a physical circle, but rather saying 'approximately' or 'about' ten o'clock.
Examples in context
- Miré a mi alrededor.I looked around me.This sentence shows how to use a mi alrededor with the verb for looking.Tatoeba #3173809 by marcelostockle, translation #321857 by CK
- El desierto rojo marciano se extendía hasta más allá y a mi alrededor pues llevaba un traje espacial con tanques de oxígeno. El aire afuera era más tenue, por supuesto, que el de la Tierra. Había una cierta brisa que habría echado a rodar las plantas rodadoras de los propios desiertos de la Tierra.The Martian red desert stretched beyond and around me as I was wearing a spacesuit with oxygen tanks. The air outside was thinner, of course, than the Earth's. There was some breeze that would otherwise blow tumbleweeds on Earth's own deserts.This sentence uses a mi alrededor to describe the environment of a person in a desert.Tatoeba #7909032 by Seael, translation #1468886 by nonong
- Estoy buscando un buen restaurante cerca de mí.I am looking for a good restaurant around me.
- ¿Hay alguna tienda de comestibles buena por mi zona?Is there any good grocery store around my area?
- Necesito conocer los restaurantes alrededor de mí.I need to know the restaurants around me.
- Quiero estar informado sobre los negocios a mi alrededor.I want to be informed about the businesses around me.
- No veo a nadie a mi alrededor.I don't see anyone around me.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Daniel are in a crowded city square.
- SofíaHay demasiado ruido a mi alrededor.There is too much noise around me.
- DanielTienes razón, Sofía, está muy lleno.You are right, Sofía, it is very crowded.
- SofíaNo veo a nadie conocido a mi alrededor.I don't see anyone I know around me.
- DanielBusquemos un lugar más tranquilo, Daniel sugiere.Let's look for a quieter place, Daniel suggests.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, alrededor, mi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
