acercó
“acercó” means “approached” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
approached
Also: drew near
📝 In Action
Ella se acercó al niño para darle un abrazo.
A2She approached the child to give him a hug.
Usted se acercó demasiado al borde del acantilado.
B1You (formal) got too close to the edge of the cliff.
El perro se acercó a la mesa esperando comida.
A2The dog approached the table hoping for food.
brought closer
Also: moved nearer
📝 In Action
El camarero acercó la carta a la señora.
B1The waiter brought the menu closer to the lady.
Ella acercó su rostro al micrófono para hablar.
B2She brought her face closer to the microphone to speak.
La crisis acercó a los dos países en busca de una solución.
C1The crisis brought the two countries closer together in search of a solution.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: acercó
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'acercó' in its reflexive form (meaning 'approached')?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the adverb *cerca* (close) and the prefix *a-* (to/toward), meaning literally 'to make close.'
First recorded: Medieval Spanish
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the verb sometimes have 'se' and sometimes not?
When it has 'se' (acercarse), the person is moving themselves closer (e.g., 'He approached'). When it doesn't have 'se' (acercar), the person is moving an object closer (e.g., 'He brought the cup closer').
Does 'acercó' require a change in spelling (like c to qu)?
No, not in this form. The spelling change (c to qu) only happens in the 'yo' form of the preterite ('yo me acerqué') and in the subjunctive forms, to keep the hard 'k' sound.