Inklingo

How to Say "to approach" in Spanish

English → Spanish

acercarse

ah-sehr-KAHR-seh (or ah-sehr-KAHR-seh in Latin America)aθeɾˈkaɾse

verbA2general
Use this when describing physical movement towards a person, place, or thing.
A bear cub is walking across a field, moving closer to a brightly colored red mushroom house in the distance.

Examples

El perro se acercó a la mesa esperando comida.

The dog approached the table hoping for food.

Por favor, no te acerques al borde del acantilado.

Please, don't get close to the edge of the cliff.

¿Nos acercamos a la ventana para ver mejor?

Shall we move closer to the window to see better?

The Reflexive 'Se'

Because 'acercarse' means 'to move oneself closer,' you must always include the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se). You are the one performing the action on yourself.

Using 'A'

To say what you are approaching, you almost always need the preposition 'a' (to/at): 'Me acerco al (a + el) edificio'.

Forgetting the Pronoun

Mistake: “Yo acerco la silla.”

Correction: Yo me acerco a la silla. (The mistake uses the non-reflexive 'acercar,' which means 'to bring something closer.')

Preterite Spelling

Mistake: “Yo acerqué.”

Correction: Yo me acerqué. (The 'c' must change to 'qu' before the 'e' to keep the hard 'k' sound, like in English 'quick'.)

acercarme

ah-sehr-KAR-mehaserˈkarme

verbA2general
Use this reflexive form when you are the one physically moving closer to someone or something, often with the intention of interacting.
A friendly child taking a step forward to reach for a bright red ball on the grass.

Examples

Necesito acercarme un poco más para leer el cartel.

I need to get a little closer to read the sign.

Voy a acercarme a la recepción para preguntar.

I'm going to approach the front desk to ask.

Quiero acercarme a la cultura española a través de la música.

I want to get closer to Spanish culture through music.

The 'me' at the end

This word is a combination of 'acercar' (to bring near) and 'me' (myself). Using them together means you are the one doing the moving!

Always use 'a'

When you get closer to something in Spanish, you must use the bridge word 'a'. For example: 'acercarme a la casa' (get closer to the house).

Missing the 'a'

Mistake: “Quiero acercarme el gato.”

Correction: Quiero acercarme AL gato. (Remember to use 'a' before the thing you are approaching.)

Spelling changes

Mistake: “Yo me acercé.”

Correction: Yo me acerqué. The 'c' changes to 'qu' in some past and special forms to keep the 'K' sound.

abordar

ah-bor-daraβoɾˈðaɾ

verbB1general
Use this when you are beginning to deal with a problem, topic, or question.
A person rolling up their sleeves and preparing to organize a large messy pile of colorful building blocks.

Examples

Debemos abordar el problema del cambio climático pronto.

We must tackle the problem of climate change soon.

El profesor abordó el tema de la Revolución Francesa.

The professor addressed the topic of the French Revolution.

Es difícil abordar esta situación sin ayuda.

It is difficult to approach this situation without help.

Using it with actions

When you want to say you are 'tackling' a problem, you don't need a preposition like 'with' or 'on'. Just use the word directly followed by the thing you are addressing.

A regular patterns

This verb follows the standard -ar pattern for all tenses, making it very predictable and easy to conjugate once you know the basics.

Confusing with 'approach' in distance

Mistake: “El gato abordó el ratón.”

Correction: El gato se acercó al ratón.

enfocar

en-fo-karem.foˈkaɾ

verbB2general
Use this when you want to describe how you are going to deal with or consider a problem or topic.
A person standing in front of a giant tangled knot, holding a single loose thread to begin untying it.

Examples

Debemos enfocar este problema desde una perspectiva diferente.

We must approach this problem from a different perspective.

El escritor enfocó su novela en la vida rural.

The writer centered his novel on rural life.

Es importante cómo enfoques la entrevista de trabajo.

How you approach the job interview is important.

Using Prepositions

When you focus on a specific topic, you usually follow the word with 'en' (enfocar el estudio en...) or 'hacia' (aim toward).

Direct vs Indirect

Mistake: “Saying 'enfocarse a un problema'.”

Correction: Usually say 'enfocarse en' or just 'enfocar el problema'.

plantear

plan-te-ahrplan.teˈaɾ

verbB2general
Use this when you are proposing or considering a specific way to deal with a task or problem.
A hand drawing a simple blue square outline on a white board to frame a specific space.

Examples

Debemos plantear el problema desde otro punto de vista.

We must frame the problem from another point of view.

El arquitecto planteó el diseño inicial ayer.

The architect outlined the initial design yesterday.

Describing the result

You can use the 'past' form (planteado) as a description. 'Un problema mal planteado' means a problem that wasn't framed correctly.

Physical vs. Figurative 'Approach'

Learners often confuse the physical movement verbs (acercarse, acercarme) with the figurative ones (abordar, enfocar, plantear). Remember that 'acercar' means to physically get closer, while the others refer to how you address or tackle a topic or problem.

Related Translations

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