Mira, está allí.
Look, it's over there.
Someone points at something in the distance, and está allí is the short way to say where it is.
From Top Secret! · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "there" in Spanish
allí
adverbnever changesopposite: aquí
"There" in Spanish is allí, for a place away from you and the person you're talking to. Use ahí for a spot near the listener, and allá for a looser "over there". For "there is" and "there are", Spanish has a separate word: hay.
Hear "allí" in real movie scenes
Once at the end, once at the start. Each video starts and stops on that line.
Allí, en esa ventana.
There, in that window.
This time allí opens the sentence, the way a time word could, and its form stays exactly the same.
From The Blacklist · Spanish audio
Aquí, ahí, allí, allá: from near to far
Spanish has more than one word for there. Distance decides which one you pick.
| Spanish | English | Where it points |
|---|---|---|
| aquí | here | The place where you are. |
| ahí | there | Near the person you're talking to, or a short way off. |
| allí | there, over there | Away from both of you. This is the word Wordy teaches. |
| allá | over there | Farther or less exact, and often used with movement: Voy para allá. |
| hay | there is, there are | Says that something exists. It doesn't point anywhere. |
Tip: Ahí, hay and ay are easy to mix up: ahí is a place, hay means there is, and ay is the sound you make when something hurts.
Grammar: using allí
Four points that cover almost every sentence with allí.
One form only
Allí doesn't agree with anything. El hotel está allí. Las llaves están allí. Only the verb changes.Where things are: estar
For the location of a thing, use estar with allí: El volcán está allí. The volcano is over there.Front or back of the sentence
Allí sits where a time word would go, so it can start or end the sentence: Allí hay un museo. = Hay un museo allí.There is, there are: hay
To say that something exists, use hay, and add allí only for the place: Allí hay mucha gente. There are a lot of people there.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
Allí la moneda es el euro.
The currency there is the euro.
El volcán está allí.
The volcano is over there.
Allí hay mucho interés turístico.
There's a lot of tourist interest there.
Allí, está allí.
There, it's right there.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗Allí es un volcán (meaning there is)
✓Allí hay un volcán
English uses there for two jobs. In Spanish, hay says something exists and allí says where.
✗El volcán es allí
✓El volcán está allí
The location of a thing takes estar.
✗alli
✓allí
Keep the accent on the i. It puts the stress at the end: a-YÍ.
Real conversation: the coffee tasting
A short dialog where you're staying. Tap to listen.
Your travel companion Paula thinks the downtown coffee tasting is today, but you know the right day.
¡Oye! ¿Hay café hoy?
Hey! Is the coffee tasting today?
Hoy no, mañana por la tarde.
No, it's tomorrow afternoon.
Vale. ¿Y allí hay mucha gente?
All right. And does it get crowded there?
Your turn to answer
In the app you reply in Spanish for the last line.
Continue the conversation in WordyPractice: 3 quick exercises
Free, and you don't need an account.
1 of 3 · Watch and choose
What do you hear in the video?
The other 34 exercises on this topic are in the app.
How to remember it
Allí sounds like "ah, YEE!", the little shout you give when you spot something far off and point at it.
Questions about "there" in Spanish
How do you say there in Spanish?
Allí for a place away from you both, or ahí for a place near the listener. For "there is", say hay.
What's the difference between allí, ahí and allá?
Ahí is closest, near the person you're talking to. Allí is farther from both of you, and allá is farther still or vaguer.
How do you say "there is" or "there are" in Spanish?
Hay, with the same form for one thing or many: Hay un hotel. Hay dos hoteles.
How do you pronounce allí?
Say ah-YEE, stressing the end. In most places the ll sounds like the y in yes.
