Ahí points to a place understood from the situation, often near the listener or previously mentioned.

The idea

The word has a written accent on í: ahí has two syllables and stress on the last.

Examples

  • Deja las llaves ahí, sobre la mesa.Leave the keys there, on the table.
  • Ahí está la farmacia, junto al banco.There is the pharmacy, next to the bank.
  • No pongas la bolsa ahí; está mojado.Do not put the bag there; it is wet.
  • ¿Qué hay ahí dentro?What is in there?
  • Espera ahí mientras busco el billete.Wait there while I look for the ticket.
  • Desde aquí veo tu coche ahí, al otro lado de la calle.From here I can see your car there, across the street.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Spanish voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

Distance depends on context and region: ahí need not refer to an exact measured distance from either speaker.

Try it yourself

  1. Choose the word for the indicated place near the listener: Desde aquí señalo un lugar junto a ti: deja el libro ___. (ahí / aquí)

    Show answer or example answer

    ahí

    Ahí fits the indicated place beside the listener; aquí points to the speaker’s location.

  2. Choose the correctly accented spelling: Elige la escritura correcta: espera ___. (ahí / ahi)

    Show answer or example answer

    ahí

    Ahí is spelled with an accent on í in standard Spanish.

  3. Choose the word that indicates a place: Hay sitio dentro de la caja que señalo; mete las llaves ___. (ahí / fuera)

    Show answer or example answer

    ahí

    Ahí refers to the indicated inside of the box; fuera means outside.

Use it today

Point to a place and ask someone to leave something there while you wait here.