When to use it
Use it when you need to take out cash and are looking for a cash machine.
The sentence in English: “Where is the nearest ATM?”
"Where is the nearest ATM?" asks about location. "Nearest" is the superlative of "near", and "ATM" is a short form of "automated teller machine". In the UK people also say "cash machine".
- Where
- adverbquestion word asking about place
- is
- verbbe · tense: present · person: third · number: singular · form of "to be"; here it says where something is
- the
- determinerdefinite article
- nearest
- adjectivesuperlative of "near"
- ATM
- nounnoun; short for automated teller machine, a cash machine
The sentence in Spanish: “¿Dónde está el cajero automático más cercano?”
"¿Dónde está el cajero automático más cercano?" uses "está", from "estar", for location. "Cajero automático" means automatic teller, with the adjective after the noun. "El más cercano" is the superlative in the masculine, to agree with "cajero".
- Dónde
- adverbquestion adverb of place: "where"; it has an accent in questions
- está
- verbestar · tense: present · mood: indicative · person: third · number: singular · "is"; Spanish uses "estar" for location
- el
- determinerdefinite article, masculine singular: "the"
- cajero
- nounmasculine noun: "teller"; "cajero automático" means "ATM"
- automático
- adjectiveadjective: "automatic"
- más
- adverbadverb: "more", "most"; with the article it forms the superlative
- cercano
- adjectiveadjective, masculine: "near"; "el más cercano" means "the nearest"
What changes from one language to the other: English × Spanish
English uses a short abbreviation, "ATM"; Spanish uses two words, "cajero automático". The superlative is "-est" in English and "el más" + adjective in Spanish, and the Spanish adjective agrees with the noun in gender.
Example conversation
— ¿Dónde está el cajero automático más cercano?
— Where is the nearest ATM?
— Hay uno dentro del centro comercial.
— There's one inside the shopping centre.