Adverbs of Place

Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.

Adverbs of Place

Rule 1. Adverbs of place indicate where an action is taking place. They usually answer the question ¿dónde? (where?).

Common Adverbs of Place

Rule 2. Some of the most common adverbs of place are the following:

The Adverbs Aquí and Ahí

Rule 3. The adverb aquí indicates that what is being talked about is very close to the speaker.

In both examples, it is understood that the subject (the school and the remote) are very close to the speaker. In the second example, it is even understood that the speaker is addressing a person who is farther away.

Cultural Note

In countries like Colombia, they also use the adverb acá to mark a distance near the speaker or refer to where the speaker is located.

Rule 4. On the contrary, ahí refers to the fact that whatever the speaker is talking about is only somewhat near or at a medium distance. Imagine you are in a situation where whatever you are locating is far enough away that you have to point it out. In this case, you use ahí.

What about allí o allá?

Rule 5. When whatever is being talked about is farther away than a medium distance, use allí and allá . If aquí indicates that an object or person is very close, and ahí follows indicating medium distance, then allí would follow, and allá would be the last, indicating that the object is quite far away.

So, ahí and allí are very similar. While aquí and allá are very clear in distance, speakers tend to interchange ahí and allí in everyday spoken language, so don't worry too much about understanding it perfectly.

Just remember that they indicate a certain distance from the speaker, so when a Spanish speaker tells you where something is, you'll know where to go. These adverbs are often accompanied by a helpful finger pointing in the right direction.