Place adverbs indicate where an action occurs, where someone or something is, or where there is movement to. They modify mainly verbs, but can also reinforce an entire sentence when expressing location. In Portuguese, they appear very frequently in questions and short answers about position and direction.

Simple adverbs of place are short, highly productive forms such as here, there, over there, and here. They answer Where? and can indicate proximity, distance, or location known by context. For contrasts of use with other types of adverbs, see [Adverbs of time] and [Adverbs of manner].

IdeiaIdea.	ExemploExample.
Aqui indica proximidade do falante.Here indicates proximity to the speaker.	Ele está aqui.He is here.
Aí indica uma posição próxima do interlocutor.There indicates a position near the interlocutor.	O livro está aí.The book is there.
Lá indica distância em relação aos participantes.There indicates distance relative to the participants.	A escola fica lá.The school is there.
Cá é frequente em Portugal e em registo informal.Here is common in Portugal and in informal speech.	Fica cá.Stay here.

Place adverbial phrases express position more precisely than a simple adverb. Expressions such as beside, in front of and underneath function as fixed units and usually clarify the spatial relationship between people and objects. In many sentences, these phrases correspond to the sense that also appears in Prepositions of Place.

IdeiaIdea.	ExemploExample.
Ao lado indica posição adjacente.To the side indicates an adjacent position.	A cadeira está ao lado da mesa.The chair is beside the table.
Em frente indica posição diante de algo.In front indicates position in front of something.	A farmácia fica em frente da escola.The pharmacy is in front of the school.
Por baixo indica posição inferior.Underneath indicates a lower position.	O gato está por baixo da cama.The cat is underneath the bed.

Some adverbs and adverbial forms of place help indicate movement, especially with displacement verbs like enter and leave. In these uses, above and below can mark spatial orientation, and the sentence depends on the verb to show whether the focus is on the destination or the path. The connection with movement brings these values closer to the uses discussed in Placement of adverbs.

IdeiaIdea.	ExemploExample.
Entrar aponta movimento para dentro.Entering indicates movement into.	Ele entrou aqui.He came in here.
Sair aponta movimento para fora.Leaving indicates movement outward.	Ela saiu lá de casa.She left home.
Acima indica posição superior.Above indicates a superior position.	O quadro está acima da porta.The picture is above the door.
Abaixo indica posição inferior.Below indicates a lower position.	O armário fica abaixo da janela.The cabinet is below the window.

Near and far arrange the distance between the described location and the reference point of the sentence. Near here reinforces immediate proximity, while far away suggests distance perceived in a more vague or visual way. These values are stable and do not vary in gender or number.

IdeiaIdea.	ExemploExample.
Perto indica pequena distância.Near indicates a small distance.	A estação fica perto.The station is near.
Perto daqui reforça proximidade ao ponto de fala.Near here reinforces proximity to the point of speech.	O café fica perto daqui.The cafe is near here.
Longe indica grande distância.Far indicates a large distance.	O hospital fica longe.The hospital is far away.
Ao longe indica visão distante.From afar indicates a distant view.	Ao longe, vê se a torre.In the distance, you can see the tower.

Place adverbs usually appear after the verb or at the end of the sentence. When the speaker wants to emphasize the location, they can place them at the beginning, as in Here is the book. This inversion changes the salience of information, but does not change the category of the word nor its function.

IdeiaIdea.	ExemploExample.
A posição neutra costuma vir depois do verbo.The neutral position is usually after the verb.	O autocarro parou aí.The bus stopped there.
A posição final também é muito comum.The final position is also very common.	Ela mora lá.She lives there.
A posição inicial dá ênfase à localização.The initial position gives emphasis to the location.	Aqui está o livro.Here is the book.

Place adverbs are invariable, therefore they do not agree in gender or number. The same form can occur with masculine or feminine nouns, in singular or plural, without morphological change. This property helps distinguish them from words that inflect or require a complement.

IdeiaIdea.	ExemploExample.
A forma não muda com o género.The form does not change with gender.	A resposta está aqui.The answer is here.
A forma não muda com o número.The form does not change with number.	Os livros estão lá.The books are there.
A mesma palavra serve em contextos diferentes.The same word serves in different contexts.	A janela e a porta ficam aí.The window and the door are there.

Where? is the typical question to obtain a place adverb as a short answer. In natural register, the answer can be just Here, There, or Over there, as long as the context identifies the spatial referent. When the answer needs to be more exact, the speaker can add a locution such as to the side or in front.

IdeiaIdea.	ExemploExample.
Onde pede localização.Where location is requested.	Onde está a mala? Aqui.Where is the suitcase? Here.
A resposta pode ser muito curta.The answer can be very short.	Onde mora ele? Lá.Where does he live? There.
A resposta pode ser ampliada com precisão.The answer can be expanded with precision.	Onde fica a biblioteca? Em frente.Where is the library? In front.

Place adverbs easily combine with each other to form more precise expressions. Sequences such as aqui mesmo and ali perto intensify the spatial reference and help delimit the distance or the exactness of the location. In European Portuguese, cá and acolá also appear with a colloquial or more literary meaning, depending on the register.

RegiãoRegion.	Palavra ou ExpressãoWord or Expression.	Definição RegionalRegional Definition.	ExemploExample.
PortugalPortugal.	CáHere.	Forma muito usada no português europeu informal e em contextos próximos do falante.A very common form in informal European Portuguese and in contexts close to the speaker.	Fica cá, se puderes.Stay here, if you can.
PortugalPortugal.	AcoláOver there.	Forma menos comum e mais literária para indicar lugar distante.Less common and more literary form to indicate a distant place.	Vê acolá, onde a estrada curva.See over there, where the road curves.
PT e BRPT and BR.	AíThere.	Pode referir proximidade do interlocutor ou um lugar mencionado no contexto, com variação regional de uso.It may refer to the interlocutor's proximity or a place mentioned in the context, with regional variation in use.	Deixa aí, que eu pego depois.Leave it there, I will pick it up later.
PT e BRPT and BR.	LáThere.	Geralmente indica distância ou um lugar afastado, embora o valor pragmático varie conforme a região.Generally indicates distance or a distant place, though the pragmatic value varies by region.	Ele mora lá, onde o rio termina.He lives there, where the river ends.

Place adverbs indicate position, distance and direction without varying in gender or number. They can appear in short answers, in more precise phrases and in combinations such as here itself or there nearby. Their placement is normally after the verb or at the end of the sentence, but the beginning of the clause is possible when you want to emphasize the location.