Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
Away in Spanish: Lejos
Lejos · adverb · LEH-hohs
The English word 'away' most commonly translates to 'lejos' (far away) in Spanish when expressing distance. However, 'away' has multiple meanings in English, and Spanish uses different words depending on context: 'fuera' for being out or absent, 'afuera' for outside, and various verb-specific constructions for phrasal verbs like 'go away' (irse) or 'put away' (guardar).
LEH-hohs
La playa está bastante lejos de aquí, como a cuarenta minutos en coche.
The beach is quite far away from here, about forty minutes by car.
Away in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for away, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| lejos | away | LEH-hohs | Default, widely understood |
| fuera | away | out / away from a place | |
| afuera | away | outside, Latin America |
How Native Speakers Use Lejos
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Physical distance
Mi familia vive lejos, así que solo los veo durante las vacaciones de verano.
My family lives far away, so I only see them during summer vacation.
Lejos expresses distance from the speaker's current location.
Being absent
El director está fuera de la oficina toda esta semana por un viaje de negocios.
The director is away from the office all this week on a business trip.
Fuera de conveys absence from a specific place.
Go away
¡Vete de aquí! No quiero hablar contigo después de lo que hiciste.
Go away! I don't want to talk to you after what you did.
Irse is the reflexive verb that captures 'go away' as a command.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Lejos
One-size-fits-all error
Incorrect: Guarda lejos tus juguetes antes de cenar.
Correct: Guarda tus juguetes antes de cenar.
The phrasal verb 'put away' does not translate word-for-word; guardar alone means to put away or store, making lejos unnecessary and confusing.
Fuera vs. lejos confusion
Incorrect: Mi casa está fuera del centro comercial.
Correct: Mi casa está lejos del centro comercial.
Fuera de means outside or out of (a boundary), while lejos de means far from (a distance); a house is distant from a mall, not outside it.
Lock in Away Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
Why word lists alone don't stick
Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.
See Lejos used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using lejos in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear La playa está bastante lejos de aquí, como a cuarenta minutos en coche. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
Save, review, repeat, stay consistent
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Common Questions About Away in Spanish
- Why does 'away' have so many translations in Spanish?
- English uses 'away' as a versatile particle that attaches to dozens of verbs to create different meanings, but Spanish typically encodes those meanings within the verb itself. Guardar (put away), irse (go away), tirar (throw away), and regalar (give away) each have their own specific verb, removing the need for a catch-all adverb.
- When do you use lejos vs. fuera?
- Lejos describes measurable distance between two points ('La tienda está lejos' — The store is far away), while fuera indicates being outside a space or absent from a location ('Está fuera del país' — He is out of the country). Choosing between them depends on whether you mean far or absent.
- How do you say 'right away' in Spanish?
- The most common translations are 'enseguida' and 'de inmediato,' both meaning immediately or right away. 'Ahora mismo' (right now) is another popular option, especially in informal conversation when urgency is implied.