Shades of Closeness

Expressing closeness, but with slightly different shades of meaning and use.

Junto a

  • Meaning: right next to, right beside
  • Tone: A bit more formal or literary than “al lado de,” but totally fine in everyday conversation.
  • Structure: junto a + noun

✅ Example:

  • Esta silla junto a mí está libre. = This chair right next to me is free.
  • El banco está junto a la iglesia. = The bench is right next to the church.

🔸 Think of “junto a” like: immediate physical proximity, often touching or very close.

Here are 10 English sentences you need to translate into Spanish using junto a:

  1. There’s a tree right next to the bench.
  2. The chair next to me is free.
  3. He sat right next to the window.
  4. There’s a small shop next to the pharmacy.
  5. We walked beside the river at sunset.
  6. She lives next to the church.
  7. I put my bag next to the couch.
  8. The dog is sleeping beside the bed.
  9. He parked right next to my car.
  10. I want to sit next to you.

Al lado de

  • Meaning: next to, beside
  • Tone: More casual and commonly used in spoken Spanish.
  • Structure: al lado de + noun

✅ Example:

  • El baño está al lado de la cocina. = The bathroom is next to the kitchen.
  • Me senté al lado de ella. = I sat next to her.

🔸 This one works great in daily conversations. You can almost always use it in place of “junto a,” and it’ll sound more natural in Mexico.

Spanish contracts “a + el” = “al”

Thinking in spanish:

  • Me senté al lado de mi amiga. = I sat to the side of my friend.
  • El baño está al lado de la cocina. = The bathroom is to the side of the kitchen.
  • Hay un restaurante al lado del banco. = There’s a restaurant to the side of the bank.

🛣️ Side of the road / street

  • ✅ el lado de la calle / el lado de la carretera = the side of the street / road

Examples:

  • Estacioné el coche al lado de la carretera.
    = I parked the car next to the road.
  • Había árboles a ambos lados del camino.
    = There were trees on both sides of the path.
  • Camina por el lado derecho de la calle.
    = Walk on the right side of the street.

🚗 Cars parked along the street

You’ll hear:

  • Hay coches estacionados a lo largo de la calle.
    = There are cars parked along the street.
    (literally: “along the length of the street” → more descriptive)

Or more commonly in casual speech:

  • Hay coches al lado de la calle.
    = There are cars next to the street.
    (though this may suggest the cars are off-road)
  • Están estacionados en la calle, a los lados.
    = They’re parked on the street, on the sides.

🌳 Trees along the road

  • Hay árboles a los lados del camino.
    = There are trees along the sides of the road.
  • El camino está lleno de árboles a ambos lados.
    = The path is full of trees on both sides.

🚨 NOTE:

For official-sounding or more precise Spanish (like in signage or Google Maps), you might see:

  • “Costado” (side)
    e.g., “Del costado derecho de la carretera” = On the right-hand side of the highway

But “lado” is way more common and natural in most situations, especially when speaking casually.

In English, we say “side” for almost everything:

  • Side of a coin ✅
  • Side of a paper ✅
  • Side of the street ✅
  • Side of your body ✅
  • Side of a sandwich ✅
  • Side of an argument ✅

But in Spanish, there’s a split:

English “side”Spanish uses…Why?
Road, body, object edgeladoRefers to position or edge
Paper, coin, flat facecaraRefers to surface or face

Sometimes you’re reaching for “lado”, but cara is the more natural choice depending on what you mean by “side” in English. That’s why it’s helpful to learn them together, even though your brain might still want to use “lado” for everything at first.

Your job: decide if the correct word in Spanish would be lado or cara.

  1. I hurt the left side of my body.
  2. Please walk on the right side of the street.
  3. Flip the paper over and look at the other side.
  4. The top side of the pastry is covered in sugar.
  5. I’m on your side.
  6. The coin landed with heads facing up.
  7. Clean both sides of the cactus pad.
  8. There are shops on both sides of the plaza.
  9. Brown both sides of the steak.
  10. There’s always another side to the story.

Cerca de

  • Meaning: near, close to
  • Tone: Broader. Not necessarily touching — just in the general vicinity.
  • Structure: cerca de + noun

✅ Example:

  • La tienda está cerca de mi casa. = The store is near my house.
  • ¿Hay una farmacia cerca de aquí? = Is there a pharmacy nearby?

🔸 So, cerca de is less specific — it means “close,” but not necessarily “next to.”

Pegado a

  • Means literally stuck to / touching
  • Stronger than “junto a”

“La mesa está pegada a la pared.” = The table is right up against the wall.

Alrededor de

  • Means around (not next to, but nearby in a circle)

“Había sillas alrededor de la mesa.” = There were chairs around the table.

Shades of Closeness:

PhraseLiteral MeaningCloseness Level 🔍Typical Use 💬Sounds Like…
pegado astuck to / glued to🟥 Super closeTouching, physically attached“against”
junto anext to / right beside🟧 Very closeRight beside, slightly formal“beside”
al lado deto the side of🟧 Very closeNext to, casual everyday usage“next to”
cerca denear to🟨 Close-ishIn the vicinity, not necessarily next“nearby”
alrededor dearound🟩 SurroundingAll around something, not adjacent“around”

Quick Rule of Thumb:

Use When You Mean…Use This
✅ Next to in casual convoal lado de
✅ Precisely besidejunto a
✅ In the general areacerca de
  1. The poster is stuck to the wall.
  2. His face was pressed right up against the window.
  3. The couch is pushed up against the wall.
  4. She sat so close to me her arm was touching mine.
  5. There’s gum stuck to the bottom of the table.
  6. The cabinet is flush against the fridge.
  7. The baby stayed glued to her mother all night.
  8. His phone was practically stuck to his hand.
  9. That table is right up against the doorway — it’s blocking it.
  10. The picture frame was leaning against the bookshelf.
  1. There’s a small bench right beside the statue.
  2. She placed her bag beside the chair and sat down.
  3. A police car was parked beside the restaurant.
  4. He stood beside me the entire time.
  5. There’s a lantern beside the front door.
  6. The sink is directly beside the stove.
  7. She lives in the apartment beside mine.
  8. I left my phone beside the bed.
  9. They built a new school beside the park.
  10. There was a soldier standing beside the flag.
  1. The bathroom is next to the kitchen.
  2. I sat next to him during the movie.
  3. Put your bag next to mine.
  4. There’s a pizza place next to the bank.
  5. She lives next door to me.
  6. We parked next to the entrance.
  7. My dog always sleeps next to my bed.
  8. They built a new house right next to ours.
  9. Sit next to your sister, please.
  10. I dropped my keys next to the couch.
  1. The bakery is near my apartment.
  2. Is there a gas station near here?
  3. We found parking near the stadium.
  4. I think he lives somewhere near the school.
  5. There’s a park near the office.
  6. I saw your car parked near the corner.
  7. We met up near the beach.
  8. Do you live near this area?
  9. The hotel is near the airport.
  10. There’s a convenience store near the hotel.
  1. There were candles all around the bathtub.
  2. The chairs are arranged around the table.
  3. Trees grow around the edge of the lake.
  4. People gathered around the fire.
  5. Shops are scattered around the plaza.
  6. He looked around the room suspiciously.
  7. Houses were built all around the hill.
  8. There’s a fence around the garden.
  9. We walked around the block.
  10. They placed pillows around the baby to keep her safe.