Inklingo

How to Say "approached" in Spanish

The Spanish word forapproachedis acercóA2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishA2
verbA2
He/She/It/You (formal) moved closer
A young boy walking along a path towards a large red apple resting on the ground, clearly showing the action of moving closer.

Examples

Ella se acercó al niño para darle un abrazo.

She approached the child to give him a hug.

Usted se acercó demasiado al borde del acantilado.

You (formal) got too close to the edge of the cliff.

El perro se acercó a la mesa esperando comida.

The dog approached the table hoping for food.

Reflexive Action

When used with 'se' (se acercó), the subject (he/she) is performing the action to himself/herself—they are moving their own body closer.

Preterite Tense

The '-ó' ending tells you the action was a single, completed event in the past, like turning off a switch: 'He approached the door and knocked.'

Forgetting 'se'

Mistake:Él acercó a la mesa.

Correction: Él se acercó a la mesa. (You need the 'se' when the person is moving themselves.)

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