aca o aqui? alla o alli?

Question

when is is appropriate to use aca versus aqui? and the same with alli and alla. Are they equally interchangable'

Answer 1

"Acá" is slightly less precise than "aquí", but their meanings are pretty close.
"Allá" is similar to "allí", but less precise. It refers to a non specified place far from the speaker.
You also have "ahí", which is between "aquí" and "ahí".

By the way, all these words have accents.

Answer 2

I saw this explanation in a book today:
In many countries acá is used instead of aquí when used with a verb of movement, such as venir. Likewise allá is used instead of allí when used with a verb of movement, such as ir.

Estoy aquí................I'm here.
Juana está allí..........Juana is over there
Ven acá....................Come here.
Ve allá.......................Go over there
(')

(Correct Your Spanish Blunders, Jean Yates)

Answer 3

I agree only partially with Mr. Yates. In Spain:

"Estoy aquí" is more broadly used than "Estoy acá", and
"Juana está allí" is more broadly used than "Juana está allá".

But

"Ven aquí" is too more broadly used than "Ven acá", and
"Ve(te) allí" is too more broadly used than "Ve(te) allá".

Maybe the above replay from Lazarus can explain that, because you are more precise when ordering somebody to came near your place or to go far from your place than describing the position of somebody.

(excuse my poor english, I need help too)

Answer 4

thank you all for your responses. I just returned from central america and I asked several locals what is the difference between the usage of the words......no one could tell me a difference. Most of the native speakers agreed that they are interchangeable and is a personal preference. I was in two different countries and I did notice a tendency for one place to use one usage more than the other, so I would assume that it does vary from country to country

Answer 5

Más de este asunto. Me parece que son diferencias regionales. Acabo de ver un 'vodcast' «Videos (Desde el Baño)» hecho en la Argentina (que describe las diferencías entre las palabras argentinas y españolas.
Francine nos muestra unos vaqueros y nos dice «A esto que tenemos acá, le decimos "jean" (los levanta en sus manos)

I was wondering about 'le' here too...

Answer 6

Thanks Guaito, has anybody else come across this idea. She did say some countries (I think she is a she)