cerca de
/ˈθeɾka de/
In Spanish, near is said as cerca de.
The phrase cerca de is used to describe being in close proximity to a specific person, place or thing. You can add the word bien before it to emphasize that something is really near. For a more playful way to say something is 'at a stone's throw' away, you can use the expression a tiro de piedra.
Meaning: in close proximity to (prep)
Which one should you use?
The adverb cerca is used on its own to mean 'near' or 'nearby' when no object follows it. However, if you are following the word with a noun or a pronoun, you must use the prepositional phrase cerca de.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some parts of Spain, the word pegado/a is used to mean 'right next to' or 'attached'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using cerca de followed by the masculine singular article el, the two words must contract to form cerca del.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈθeɾka de/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using cerca alone when a noun follows it. For example, do not say cerca la casa instead of the correct cerca de la casa.
Did you know?
- The word cerca can function as a noun meaning 'fence' or 'enclosure', derived from the verb 'cercar' which means to surround.
- The word cerca shares its roots with the English word 'circa', which is used to indicate an approximate time or number.
- In some regional dialects, estar cerca can be used to mean that an event is about to happen soon in time, rather than space.
Examples in context
- Vive cerca de aquí.He lives near here.This sentence shows how to use cerca de to describe a person's proximity to a location.Tatoeba #575544 by Shishir, translation #289960 by CK
- Vivo cerca del dique.I live near the dike.This sentence demonstrates the contraction of cerca de and el into cerca del.Tatoeba #1877208 by marcelostockle, translation #1823559 by Amastan
- Tom vive cerca de ti.Tom lives near you.This sentence illustrates how to use cerca de with a pronoun.Tatoeba #9736895 by Shishir, translation #9266386 by CK
- El hotel está cercaThe hotel is near
- La farmacia está próxima al hospitalThe pharmacy is near the hospital
- La escuela está junto al parqueThe school is next to the park
- El café está cerca de nuestra casaThe café is near our house
- El supermercado está cerca, a solo unas cuadrasThe supermarket is near, just a few blocks away
- La playa está a tiro de piedra de aquíThe beach is at a stone's throw from here
- La librería está pegada a la bibliotecaThe bookstore is right next to the library
- El hotel está bien cercaThe hotel is really near
- Mi casa está cercaMy house is near
- Mi casa estaba cercaMy house was near
- El supermercado está cerca de nuestro apartamento, a solo unos pasos.The supermarket is near our apartment, just a short walk away.
- ¿Hay una parada de autobús cerca de aquí?Is there a bus stop near here?
- El hotel está cerca del aeropuerto, lo que lo hace muy conveniente para los viajeros.The hotel is near the airport, making it very convenient for travelers.
- Él vive cerca de mi lugar de trabajo, así que a menudo almorzamos juntos.He lives near my workplace, so we often have lunch together.
- 244 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Mateo are looking for a pharmacy in the city.
- Elena¿Hay una farmacia cerca de este hotel?Is there a pharmacy near this hotel?
- MateoSí, hay una muy cerca de aquí.Yes, there is one very near here.
- ElenaPerfecto, caminemos hacia allá.Perfect, let's walk towards there.
- MateoEstá cerca de la estación de metro.It is near the metro station.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “near” 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.
