cerca de
/ˈθeɾka de/
The English phrase 'close to' is translated into Spanish as cerca de.
cerca de is used to describe physical proximity to an object or person, and it can also be used to mean 'approximately' or 'nearly' when referring to numbers or quantities.
Meaning: near (prep)
Which one should you use?
Use cerca de when you are expressing proximity to a specific object or person. In contrast, the word cerca alone is typically used as an adverb meaning 'nearby' when there is no following object.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, particularly in Andalusian Spanish, cerquita de is frequently used instead of cerca de to mean close to.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When cerca de is followed by a definite article, it contracts with the masculine article el to become cerca del.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈθeɾka de/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly omit the de when using cerca to mean 'close to' a noun.
Did you know?
- The word cerca shares its history with the English word 'circa', used in academic writing to mean 'approximately'.
- While cerca de means 'close to', the verb cercar means to 'surround' or 'besiege' a city.
- While cerca de expresses proximity, the word cerca can also mean a 'fence' or 'enclosure' in many Spanish-speaking contexts.
Examples in context
- Quédate cerca de mí.Stay close to me.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase cerca de.Tatoeba #10485174 by ecorralest101, translation #3184880 by CK
- Ya estoy cerca de ti.I'm already close to you.Tatoeba #6830865 by arh, translation #8401799 by helloroto
- Tom vive cerca de ti.Tom lives close to you.Tatoeba #9736895 by Shishir, translation #9736985 by DJ_Saidez
- La biblioteca está cerca del parque.The library is close to the park.
- La casa de mi abuela está cerca del mar.My grandmother's house is close to the sea.
- El hotel está próximo al aeropuerto.The hotel is close to the airport.
- La tienda está próxima a la estación de tren.The store is close to the train station.
- La panadería está junto a la farmacia.The bakery is close to the pharmacy.
- La oficina de correos está junto al banco.The post office is close to the bank.
- La fiesta está cerca del centro.The party is close to downtown.
- El restaurante está cerca del cine.The restaurant is close to the movie theater.
- Estoy casi en tu casa.I'm nearly at your house.
- El supermercado está a tiro de piedra de aquí.The supermarket is a stone's throw away from here.
- La cafetería está a tiro de piedra de mi casa.The cafe is within easy reach of my house.
- 63 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are walking in a city and looking for a cafe.
- Lucía¿Hay un café cerca de aquí?Is there a cafe close to here?
- MateoSí, hay uno cerca de la plaza.Yes, there is one close to the plaza.
- LucíaPerfecto, vamos hacia allá.Perfect, let's go there.
- MateoNo estamos lejos, Lucía.We are not far, Lucía.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “close to” translations and entries cerca de, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cerca, de, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
