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allá

ah-YAH/aˈʝa/

“allá” means “over there (far away)” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

over there (far away)

Also: yonder, beyond
Latin America
A child pointing across a vast landscape toward a tiny, distant village nestled far away beneath distant mountains, illustrating great physical distance.

📝 In Action

Mi abuela vive allá en México.

A2

My grandmother lives over there in Mexico.

¿Ves esa montaña allá a lo lejos? Algún día la escalaremos.

B1

Do you see that mountain way over there in the distance? One day we'll climb it.

La felicidad está más allá de las posesiones materiales.

B2

Happiness is beyond material possessions.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • allí (there (less distant))

Antonyms

  • aquí (here)
  • acá (over here)

Common Collocations

  • más allá de – beyond
  • allá lejos – far over there / way off in the distance
  • allá arriba / abajo – way up there / way down there

Idioms & Expressions

  • el más allá – The afterlife or the great beyond.
  • allá tú – That's your problem; it's up to you.

way back

Also: back then
An adult is sitting in a brightly lit room, gazing at a small, framed illustration of a child playing in a field during a long-ago summer day, symbolizing a time 'way back' in the past.

📝 In Action

Allá por los años 80, la música era muy diferente.

B2

Way back in the 80s, music was very different.

Recuerdo mi infancia, allá en el pueblo, cuando jugábamos en la calle todo el día.

B2

I remember my childhood, back then in the village, when we played in the street all day.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • entonces (then)
  • en aquel tiempo (at that time)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • allá por... – way back in... (followed by a year or era)
  • allá en mis tiempos – back in my day

🔀 Commonly Confused With

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "allá" in Spanish:

back then→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: allá

Question 1 of 1

Your friend is telling you about her family who lives in Japan, on the other side of the world. Which sentence is the most natural way for her to say it?

📚 More Resources

🎵 Rhymes▼
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📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin phrase 'illāc parte', which meant 'on that side' or 'that way'. Over time, it shortened to just 'allá' to mean 'over there'.

First recorded: Around the 12th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: aláCatalan: allà

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the real difference between 'allí' and 'allá'?

It's all about distance! Think of 'allí' as 'over there'—a specific spot that's far away, but you can probably point to it. Think 'allá' as 'WAY over there'—a much more distant, sometimes vague place that might even be out of sight or in another country. If you're talking about another continent, always use 'allá'.

Can 'allá' move? For example, in 'vamos para allá'?

Yes, absolutely! While 'allá' by itself describes a static, faraway location, when you pair it with a verb of motion like 'ir' (to go), it means 'to there' or 'that way'. 'Vamos para allá' means 'Let's go over there'.