no acercarse
/no aθeɾkaɾse/from spelling rules
To say 'stay away' in Spanish, you can use no acercarse or mantenerse alejado.
Meaning: Translations (verb)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| no acercarse | /no aθeɾkaɾse/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /no aseɾkaɾse/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
| mantenerse alejado | /manteneɾse alexado/ (from spelling rules) |
The phrase mantenerse alejado is commonly used in more formal or cautionary contexts, such as warning people to stay away from a dangerous area or a person.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase mantenerse alejado literally means 'to keep oneself distant'.
Which one should you use?
No acercarse is often used as a direct instruction or command to not move closer to something, whereas mantenerse alejado implies a continuous state of keeping distance.
How does it change in a sentence?
To give the informal singular command 'stay away', you use mantente alejado. To give the formal singular command 'stay away', you use manténgase alejado. To tell a group of people to 'stay away', use the plural form manténganse alejados.
How do you pronounce it?
/no aθeɾkaɾse/
Did you know?
- To describe the act of staying away from someone socially, Spanish speakers use the phrase hacer el vacío, which translates literally to 'making the vacuum'.
- The phrase no te metas is used to tell someone to stay away from a topic or person, though it literally means 'do not get yourself into'.
- The verb alejar, found in alejado, shares a root with the English word 'alien', as both involve the concept of being 'distant' or 'other'.
Examples in context
- Ante la situación actual, por favor, manténganse alejados de las áreas concurridas.Given the current situation, please stay away from crowded areas.
- Por favor, no se acerque demasiado a la pintura fresca.Please do not get too close to the wet paint.
- Pedro, aléjate de mi auto nuevo con tu bebida.Pedro, stay away from my new car with your drink.
- No te acerques tanto al precipicio, ¡es peligroso!Don't get too close to the cliff, it's dangerous!
- No acercarse al fuego.Do not approach the fire.
- Es mejor no acercarse al perro.It is better not to approach the dog.
Example conversation
Javier and María are walking near a wet painting.
- JavierTen cuidado, María. No acercarse a la pintura.Be careful, María. Stay away from the painting.
- MaríaTienes razón, Javier. Todavía está muy húmeda.You are right, Javier. It is still very wet.
- JavierEs mejor no acercarse para no mancharla.It is better to stay away so we don't smudge it.
- MaríaSí, me quedaré aquí atrás.Yes, I will stay back here.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stay away” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
