Inklingo
← Dictionary

cerca

SER-kaˈseɾ.ka

near, close

Also: nearby
A small, red, pitched-roof house standing immediately next to the base of a tall, white lighthouse.

📝 In Action

El supermercado está cerca.

A1

The supermarket is nearby.

Mi oficina está cerca de mi casa.

A1

My office is near my house.

No te preocupes, vivimos muy cerca.

A2

Don't worry, we live very close.

Ven más cerca para ver mejor.

B1

Come closer to see better.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • junto a (next to)
  • próximo (next, close)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • cerca de – near/close to (something specific)
  • de cerca – up close
  • muy cerca – very close

fence

Also: wall
NounfB1
A section of white wooden picket fence clearly separating a grassy lawn from a cultivated flower garden.

📝 In Action

El perro saltó la cerca del jardín.

B1

The dog jumped the garden fence.

Necesitamos reparar la cerca de madera.

B1

We need to repair the wooden fence.

Construyeron una cerca alta alrededor de la propiedad.

B2

They built a high fence around the property.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • valla (fence, barrier)
  • muro (wall (solid, of stone/brick))

Common Collocations

  • una cerca eléctrica – an electric fence
  • saltar la cerca – to jump the fence

he/she/it fences in, he/she/it surrounds

Also: he/she/it encloses
VerbB2regular (-car verb) arformal
A close-up view of hands securing the final wooden post to complete a perimeter fence around a small vegetable patch.
infinitivecercar
gerundcercando
past Participlecercado

📝 In Action

El jardinero cerca el huerto para proteger las verduras.

B2

The gardener fences in the vegetable patch to protect the vegetables.

La policía cerca el edificio donde se esconden los sospechosos.

C1

The police surround the building where the suspects are hiding.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • rodear (to surround)
  • vallar (to fence)

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedcerca
yocerco
túcercas
ellos/ellas/ustedescercan
nosotroscercamos
vosotroscercáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedcercaba
yocercaba
túcercabas
ellos/ellas/ustedescercaban
nosotroscercábamos
vosotroscercabais

preterite

él/ella/ustedcercó
yocerqué
túcercaste
ellos/ellas/ustedescercaron
nosotroscercamos
vosotroscercasteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedcerque
yocerque
túcerques
ellos/ellas/ustedescerquen
nosotroscerquemos
vosotroscerquéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedcercara
yocercara
túcercaras
ellos/ellas/ustedescercaran
nosotroscercáramos
vosotroscercarais
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "cerca" in Spanish:

close→near→nearby→wall→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: cerca

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence is correct and uses 'cerca' in two different ways (as a noun and an adverb)?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
cercar(to fence, to surround) — Verb
cercano(nearby, close) — Adjective
cercanía(proximity, closeness) — Noun
acercar(to bring closer, to approach) — Verb
🎵 Rhymes▼
tercamerca
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin word 'circā', which means 'around' or 'about'. You can see how this one root word gave us both the idea of being 'around' or 'near' something (the adverb), and the thing that goes 'around' a property (the noun for 'fence').

First recorded: 10th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: cercaItalian: circaFrench: cercle

💡 Master Spanish

Take your Spanish to the next level. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories tailored to your level with the Inklingo app!

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'cerca' and 'cercano'?

'Cerca' is an adverb that tells you *where* something is (e.g., 'Vivo cerca' - I live nearby). 'Cercano' is an adjective that describes a noun, meaning it's a *type* of thing (e.g., 'un pueblo cercano' - a nearby town). If you can ask 'where?', use 'cerca'.

When do I use 'cerca de' instead of just 'cerca'?

Use 'cerca' by itself to simply say something is 'nearby'. Use 'cerca de' when you want to connect it to another object to say it's 'near *to something*'. For example: 'La farmacia está cerca' (The pharmacy is nearby). vs. 'La farmacia está cerca del banco' (The pharmacy is near the bank).