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cercano

sehr-KAH-noh/seɾˈkano/

near, close (by)

Also: adjacent
A small, red-roofed house sitting immediately beside a large, green oak tree.

📝 In Action

La farmacia está cercana, solo a dos minutos.

A1

The pharmacy is nearby, only two minutes away.

Vivimos en pueblos cercanos, pero nunca nos habíamos conocido.

A2

We live in nearby towns, but we had never met.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • próximo (next, nearest)
  • junto (together, near)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • en un lugar cercano – in a nearby place
  • la ciudad cercana – the neighboring city

imminent, forthcoming

Also: soon
A dark, heavy rain cloud hanging directly above an open yellow umbrella, indicating that rain is about to fall immediately.

📝 In Action

La celebración de su cumpleaños es cercana. ¡Debemos comprar un regalo!

B1

His birthday celebration is imminent/soon. We must buy a gift!

En un futuro cercano, podremos viajar sin restricciones.

B2

In the near future, we will be able to travel without restrictions.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • inminente (imminent)
  • pronto (soon)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • un futuro cercano – the near future

close, intimate

Also: familiar, warm
Two smiling figures, one taller and one shorter, sharing a warm, affectionate hug.

📝 In Action

Ella es una persona muy cercana y siempre escucha a sus empleados.

B2

She is a very warm/approachable person and always listens to her employees.

Solo compartí mi secreto con mis amigos más cercanos.

C1

I only shared my secret with my closest friends.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • íntimo (intimate)
  • amable (kind, friendly)

Antonyms

  • frío (cold, distant)

Common Collocations

  • un amigo cercano – a close friend
  • tener una relación cercana – to have a close relationship

🔀 Commonly Confused With

Translate to Spanish

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: cercano

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'cercano' to describe a relationship, not distance or time?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
cercanía(closeness, proximity) — Noun
acercar(to bring closer) — Verb
cerca(near (adverb)) — Adverb
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

The word comes from the Late Latin *circanus*, which itself is derived from the Latin word *circa*, meaning 'around' or 'near'. It has always been related to the concept of proximity.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: cercanoItalian: circano

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

'Cercano' is an adjective, meaning it describes a noun (e.g., 'el pueblo cercano' - the nearby town). 'Cerca' is an adverb, which describes where an action happens (e.g., 'Vive cerca' - He lives near/close by). 'Cerca' never changes its ending, but 'cercano' must match the noun (cercano/cercana/cercanos/cercanas).

Can I use 'cercano' to describe an estimate or approximation?

Yes. You can use it to talk about a 'close' estimate or number, such as 'un número cercano a cien' (a number close to one hundred).