Spanish Phrase
Está a unos diez minutos andando.
Meaning
The sentence tells the listener that a location is roughly ten minutes away if you go there on foot. It conveys an approximate walking time rather than a precise distance.
When to use
Use this phrase when giving directions, answering questions about how long it takes to get somewhere, or describing the proximity of a place in everyday conversation.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Estáaunosdiezminutosandando
Estar a + tiempo
Use 'estar a' followed by a time expression to indicate how long it takes to reach a place.
Indefinite quantity 'unos'
‘unos’ softens the exact number, giving an approximate value.
Gerundio de movimiento
The gerund (andando) expresses the mode of travel – walking.
No usar 'es' para distancia
‘Ser’ describes inherent characteristics; distance or travel time uses ‘estar’.
🗨In Conversation
¿Cuánto se tarda en llegar a la plaza?
How long does it take to get to the square?
Está a unos diez minutos andando.
It's about ten minutes away on foot.
✕Common Mistakes
Es a unos diez minutos andando.
Use ‘estar’ for temporary states like distance or travel time, not ‘ser’.
Está en unos diez minutos andando.
The preposition for time‑to‑reach is ‘a’, not ‘en’.
Está cerca de diez minutos andando.
‘Cerca de’ describes proximity, not the time it takes to get there.
↔Alternatives
Está a diez minutos a pie.
It's ten minutes away on foot.
Se llega caminando en diez minutos.
You can get there walking in ten minutes.
Queda a diez minutos caminando.
It's ten minutes away by walking.
Cultural Tip
In many Spanish‑speaking regions people often say ‘a pie’ or use the gerund ‘caminando/andando’ to specify walking. ‘Andar’ can also mean ‘to go’ in a general sense, so context matters. When you want to sound more natural, you can drop ‘unos’ for a precise figure or keep it for an approximation.