acercarse
/aθeɾˈkaɾse/
To walk over in Spanish is to say acercarse.
acercarse means to approach or walk over to something, it does not necessarily imply crossing a specific boundary or obstacle like the English 'walk over' might in certain contexts.
Meaning: first sense: to physically walk over (verb)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In certain Latin American countries, people might use acércate para acá to mean "Come over here."
How does it change in a sentence?
When specifying the destination or person being approached, the preposition 'a' must follow the verb. For example, you would use acercarse a to mean 'to walk over to'.
How do you pronounce it?
/aθeɾˈkaɾse/
Did you know?
- If you want to tell someone to 'walk over' to you in a very informal or slangy way in some parts of Mexico, you might hear cáele, which literally translates to 'fall on it'.
- While acercarse describes the movement, Spanish speakers often pair it with un poquito to soften a request, as in acércate un poquito. This is a cultural tool for politeness to avoid appearing too demanding when asking someone to move.
- While English uses 'walk over' to mean approaching, the Spanish verb acercarse comes from the word cerca, which means 'near'.
Examples in context
- Él se acerca a la mesa.He walks over to the table.
- Él va a acercarse a la ventana.He is going to walk over to the window.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry acercarse, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
