How to Say "to distance" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “to distance” is “alejar” — A2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
Aleja la silla de la ventana.
Move the chair away from the window.
El ruido aleja a los clientes.
The noise keeps customers away.
Prefiero alejarme de los problemas.
I prefer to stay away from problems.
Using alejar with reflexive pronouns
When you want to say 'to move away' from your own perspective, add '-se' to the end: 'Me alejo' (I move away). This is very common when talking about emotions or decisions.
The difference between alejar and quitar
Both can mean 'to remove,' but 'alejar' specifically emphasizes distance, while 'quitar' emphasizes taking something away entirely.
Forgetting the reflexive pronoun
Mistake: “Dice que quiere alejar de los problemas.”
Correction: Dice que quiere alejarse de los problemas. When YOU are the one moving away from something, add '-se' to the verb.
Confusing alejar with alejarse
Mistake: “Alejo de casa.”
Correction: Me alejo de casa. Use 'alejar' when YOU are doing the moving away; use 'alejar' (without -se) when YOU move something else away.
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