Cerca

In Spanish, 'cerca' functions primarily as an adverb or preposition indicating physical proximity or nearness. As an adverb, it modifies verbs to describe something happening close by. As a preposition, it is typically followed by 'de' and indicates something is situated or located nearby. It can also express approximation or nearness in time, distance, or degree. The meaning is context-dependent but always relates to closeness or a limited separation between things. 'Cerca' emphasizes the idea of a relatively small distance or a short time frame.

Cerca meaning with examples

• La tienda está cerca. (The store is nearby.) I used 'cerca' to show that the store's location is close. It is a common use of 'cerca' to indicate location and requires no other word. The implication here is that I could walk there or could go there in a short while.
• Vive cerca de la playa. (He/She lives near the beach.) This uses 'cerca de' to state the proximity to the beach. It implies a short distance; he can easily walk to it. 'Cerca de' is often used to describe location near to another feature.
• El concierto empieza cerca de las ocho. (The concert starts around eight o'clock.) Here, 'cerca de' expresses approximation in time, meaning the concert will begin close to eight, perhaps at a few minutes before or after, not specifically exactly at that time.
• Pasé cerca de un accidente en la carretera. (I passed near an accident on the road.) This example uses 'cerca de' to indicate close encounter or proximity to a situation but not exactly happening to me, rather than me, or the speaker.