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Acerca la silla a la mesa, por favor.

Acerca la silla a la mesa, por favor.
Bring the chair closer to the table, please.
FromLesson 39inHardcore Spanish (Latin America)
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Breakdown of Acerca la silla a la mesa, por favor.

la silla
the chair
la mesa
the table
a
to
por favor
please
acercar
to bring closer
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“How does verb conjugation work in Spanish?”
Spanish verbs change form based on the subject, tense, and mood. Regular verbs follow predictable patterns depending on whether they end in ‑ar, ‑er, or ‑ir. For example, "hablar" (to speak) becomes "hablo" (I speak), "hablas" (you speak), and "habla" (he/she speaks) in the present tense.

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Questions & Answers about Acerca la silla a la mesa, por favor.

Is this the same “acerca” as in “acerca de” meaning “about”?

No. Here acerca is the verb acercar (to bring/move closer), used as a command. Acerca de is a fixed preposition meaning “about/regarding.” Example contrast:

  • Acerca la silla… = move the chair closer.
  • Acerca de la silla… = about the chair (topic).
Is this sentence a command? What verb form is acerca?
Yes. It’s an affirmative tú command. For most verbs, the affirmative tú imperative equals the 3rd-person singular present: acercar → (él/ella) acerca → ¡Acerca! Context (tone + por favor) makes it clearly a command.
How do I say it politely to a stranger or to a group?
  • Formal singular (usted): Acerque la silla a la mesa, por favor.
  • Plural (ustedes): Acerquen la silla a la mesa, por favor. Note the spelling change c → qu before e to keep the “k” sound.
What are the negative command forms?
  • Tú: No acerques la silla a la mesa.
  • Usted: No acerque la silla a la mesa.
  • Ustedes: No acerquen la silla a la mesa. Negative tú uses the present subjunctive, hence the c → qu change.
How do I avoid repeating “la silla” with a pronoun?

Affirmative command: attach the pronoun and add an accent to keep the stress: Acércala a la mesa, por favor.
Negative command: put the pronoun before the verb, no added accent: No la acerques a la mesa.

Why is it a la mesa? Could I use de or hacia instead?
With this verb, the standard pattern is acercar algo a + destination. De doesn’t work here. Hacia is possible (Acerca la silla hacia la mesa) but it stresses direction more than the endpoint; a is the most natural.
There are two “la”s. How do I know what each one refers to?
  • The la before silla and mesa are just feminine articles.
  • If you use a pronoun (Acércala a la mesa), that la replaces the direct object (la silla). The phrase a la mesa is a destination and is not replaced by la.
Can I say Acerca la a la mesa?
No. In affirmative commands, object pronouns must attach to the end of the verb: Acércala a la mesa. In your version, the first la would be read as an article, not a pronoun, and the result is ungrammatical.
What’s the difference between acercar, traer, llevar, and poner/junto a here?
  • acercar: move something closer (reduce distance).
  • traer: bring toward the speaker’s location (e.g., Trae la silla a la mesa).
  • llevar: take to another location away from the speaker.
  • poner/junto a: place/leave something next to something else (e.g., Pon la silla junto a la mesa). In some regions, arrimar is also used like acercar.
How would I say it if I’m moving myself closer?

Use the reflexive form:

  • Tú: Acércate a la mesa, por favor.
  • Usted: Acérquese a la mesa, por favor.
Where does por favor go, and do I need the comma?

It’s optional and can go at the end or the beginning:

  • Acerca la silla a la mesa, por favor.
  • Por favor, acerca la silla a la mesa. A comma is standard when por favor is at the beginning or end because it’s a parenthetical.
How is acerca pronounced in Latin America?
ah-SER-kah. The c before e sounds like English “s” (seseo), and the r is a single tap. With a pronoun: Acércala = ah-SER-kah-lah (the accent mark keeps the stress on SER).
Why not al la mesa?
Because only a + el contracts to al. a + la stays a la. So: a la mesa, but al escritorio.