Skip to content

"near, close by" in seven languages

Meaningnear, close by

Spanish

cerca

/ˈθeɾka/

inherited

Before a noun: cerca de.

French

près

/pʁɛ/

other source · Latin PRESSĒ 'tightly, closely' (from PREMERE 'to press')

Before a noun: près de. Proche is the adjective.

Italian

vicino

/viˈtʃino/

other source · Latin VĪCĪNUM 'neighbouring'

Before a noun: vicino a. Also 'neighbour'.

Portuguese

perto

/ˈpɛhtu/

other source · of disputed Latin origin

Cerca survives in cerca de 'about, around'.

Romanian

aproape

/aˈpro̯ape/

other source · Latin AD PROPE 'near to'

Catalan

a prop

/ə ˈpɾɔp/

other source · Latin PROPE 'near'

English

near

/nɪɹ/

native English · Old Norse nær / Old English nēar, comparative of nēah 'nigh'

English → Italiannear, close byvicinoNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: circa, circus, circle; press (from PRESSĒ); vicinity (from VĪCĪNUM).What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

CIRCĀ‘around, about’

All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.

The story

Three images of closeness: Spanish 'around' (CIRCĀ), French 'pressed together' (the près of après), Italian 'neighbouring' (vicino, English vicinity).

English relatives: circa, circus, circle; press (from PRESSĒ); vicinity (from VĪCĪNUM)

Sound laws at work

C before E and I

Learn it

Practice the Little words deckQuiz a friend on it

In a sentence

  • es¿Hay una farmacia cerca de aquí?
  • frIl y a une pharmacie près d'ici ?
  • itC'è una farmacia qui vicino?
  • ptTem uma farmácia perto daqui?
  • roE vreo farmacie pe aproape?
  • caHi ha alguna farmàcia a prop d'aquí?
  • enIs there a pharmacy near here?

More in Little words

All Little words words