Cerca vs. acerca vs. cercano

Question

What is the exact difference between these words? If I were to translate, for instance, “I am near the bank”, which one of the following would be the best way to go and why:

1. Estoy cerca del banco.

2. Estoy acerca del banco.

3. Estoy cercano al banco.

I just read this line on some website discussing cerca vs. cercano:

Tenemos una casa cercana al aeropuerto.

Why would one be advised to use cercana a instead of cerca de in this construct?

Answer 1

The current use in Spain is:

• acerca de is never used with this meaning; its only use is meaning about
• in an informal context, whenever you can choose between the adverb cerca and the adjective cercano/a, use the first
• in a more formal context or in writing, you can use either cerca or cercano/a

So I wouldn't say Tenemos una casa cercana al aeropuerto, but Tenemos una casa cerca del aeropuerto, though you might read the first variation in a newspaper, for instance.

Be aware that sometimes you can only use the adjective. Some additional examples:

• Hay un bar cerca rather than Hay un bar cercano
• Paco estaba en un bar cercano, but not Paco estaba en un bar cerca

Answer 2

1. It's correct, "Cerca" is an adverb which modifies the verb "Estar".
2. It is not wrong, but that word usage is declining.
3. It's correct, "Cercano" is an adjective which define the subject "Yo".

Answer 3

Concerning the use of cerca vs cercano I just wanted to add the following to the discussion.

Some of my friends say, 'Somos muy cercanos', regardless of whether or not it is grammatically correct, it is the point I use from which to differentiate between the two words.

Cerca > Being close to something in distance

Cercano > The quality of being close to something, used in a more emotional or non literal sense.

'Aunque somos dieciséis hermanos en mi familia, siempre hemos sido muy cercanos'

'Mi casa queda cerca al metro, sin embargo hago una hora a la oficina'