Place Adverbs
Adverbs of place tell us where something happens or where someone goes, and they often modify verbs, prepositions, or entire clauses. They are useful for giving clear and vivid descriptions of location and movement.
Common Adverbs of Place
Common adverbs of place include short and memorable words like aquí, allí, cerca, and lejos, which speakers use to point to specific locations relative to the speaker or listener.
| Spanish Word(s) | English Word(s) |
|---|---|
| aquí | here |
| allí | there |
| ahí | there (near) |
| cerca | near |
| lejos | far |
| delante | in front |
| detrás | behind |
| arriba | up / above |
| abajo | down / below |
| Spanish Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🌍 El hotel está allá, cerca del faro. | The hotel is over there, near the lighthouse. |
| 🏖️ La cafetería queda aquí, junto a la playa. | The café is here, next to the beach. |
| 🏠 Viven en una casita allá arriba en la colina. | They live in a little house up there on the hill. |
| 🚤 Llegamos a la isla y dejamos las maletas aquí. | We arrived at the island and left the bags here. |
| 🌳 Hay una hamaca colgada allá entre los árboles. | There is a hammock hanging over there between the trees. |
Adverbial Phrases
Adverbial phrases add more precise information by combining prepositions and nouns, such as en la esquina or al lado de, and they function as single units that specify location.
| Spanish Phrase | English Phrase |
|---|---|
| en la esquina | at the corner |
| al lado de | next to |
| en frente de | in front of |
| cerca de | near to |
| lejos de | far from |
| debajo de | under |
| encima de | on top of |
| Spanish Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🧭 Cerca del puerto, hay un mercado colorido. | Near the port, there is a colorful market. |
| 🌉 El restaurante está justo al lado del puente. | The restaurant is right next to the bridge. |
| 🏕️ Acampamos allá, más allá de las dunas. | We camped over there, beyond the dunes. |
| 🚶 Caminamos por la playa y paramos en una cueva escondida. | We walked along the beach and stopped at a hidden cave. |
| 🗺️ El faro se ve desde aquí, encima de la colina. | The lighthouse can be seen from here, on top of the hill. |
Placement of Place Adverbs
Place adverbs typically appear after the verb they modify, such as in La tienda está aquí or Ponen las sillas afuera, which helps keep the sentence natural and clear.
Using Dónde and Related Questions
The question word dónde asks about location, and you can pair it with prepositions for more specific questions like ¿dónde está...? or ¿a dónde vas? to distinguish between asking for a place versus a destination.
| Spanish Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🗣️ ¿Dónde está el barco patito? | Where is the paddle boat? |
| 🧳 ¿A qué lugar de la isla llegan las maletas? | To what place on the island do the bags arrive? |
| 👁️ ¿Por dónde se accede a la cueva? | By where do you access the cave? |
| 🗺️ ¿Cómo llegamos al faro desde la playa? | How do we get to the lighthouse from the beach? |
| 📍 ¿Está aquí el punto de encuentro del paseo? | Is the meeting point here? |
Distinction Between Ahí, Allí and Aquí
Aquí signals very near the speaker, ahí indicates a spot near the listener or a short distance away, and allí refers to a more distant place; choosing between them shapes the listener's mental image of location.
| Spanish Example | English Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 📍 La sombrilla está aquí, cerca de donde estamos. | The umbrella is here, near where we are. | Very close |
| 🏄 Las tablas de surf están ahí, junto a la toalla roja. | The surfboards are there, next to the red towel. | A bit farther |
| 🗼 El faro queda allí, en lo alto de la colina. | The lighthouse is over there, on top of the hill. | Far away |
Adverbs for Direction
Adverbs of direction tell us where someone is moving toward, such as afuera, adentro, arriba, abajo, and they often work together with verbs of motion to clarify the destination.
| Spanish Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| ↩️ Volvimos hacia la playa después de explorar la cueva. | We returned toward the beach after exploring the cave. |
| ➡️ Camina por el sendero y gira hacia la derecha en los molinos. | Walk along the path and turn toward the right at the windmills. |
| ⬆️ Subieron colina arriba para ver la puesta de sol. | They went up the hill to see the sunset. |
| ⬇️ Bajamos por la duna y corrimos hasta el agua. | We went down the dune and ran to the water. |
| 🔄 Dieron vueltas alrededor del faro antes de regresar. | They went around the lighthouse before returning. |
Summary
Place adverbs and adverbial phrases guide the listener through where actions happen or where things are located; paying attention to small differences like ahí versus allí makes descriptions more precise and natural.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025