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La catedral está cerca de la plaza.

La catedral está cerca de la plaza.
The cathedral is near the square.
From Lesson 30:Asking the way (cerca, a la derecha, todo recto)·Spanish (Spain)

Questions & Answers about La catedral está cerca de la plaza.

Why do we use está instead of es?
Spanish always uses the verb estar, and its form está, to talk about physical locations, even for permanent buildings. You use es, from the verb ser, for descriptions, like saying La catedral es grande.
Why do we need the word de after cerca?
When you mention the specific place that something is close to, you must use the phrase cerca de. If you just want to say the cathedral is close by without naming what it is near, you drop the de and say La catedral está cerca.
Why is it la catedral if the word does not end in the letter a?
While most feminine nouns end in the letter a, there are exceptions. Nouns ending in al do not have a strict gender rule, and catedral happens to be feminine. This is why it is helpful to memorize the article, like el or la, when learning a new word.
Does plaza refer to a shopping mall?
In Spain, a plaza is an open public square in a town or city. While in English a plaza can sometimes mean a shopping center, in Spanish it refers to a traditional town square.

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