In Spanish, “arrive” is most often llegar; pick the tense and preposition that match time, place, and tone.
You’ll see “arrive” in travel updates, class schedules, delivery notices, and daily chat. Spanish handles this idea with a few verbs and set phrases. Once you know when to use llegar versus a more formal choice, your sentences sound clean and natural.
This guide maps the Spanish options to English meaning, shows the most common patterns, and gives practice lines you can copy into your own writing or speaking.
What “Arrive” Means And How Spanish Expresses It
In English, “arrive” can mean reaching a place, reaching a time, or turning up at an event. Spanish can cover all three, yet the wording shifts a bit depending on what you’re arriving to.
Arriving At A Place
For places, Spanish most often uses llegar. It works for cities, buildings, rooms, and meeting points. Think of it as “to get there.”
- Llego a casa a las seis. — I get home at six.
- Llegamos al hotel tarde. — We got to the hotel late.
Arriving At A Time
Spanish often uses llegar with a time, too. In this case you’re not “arriving to a clock,” you’re stating when you show up.
- ¿A qué hora llegas? — What time do you arrive?
- Llegué a las ocho en punto. — I arrived at eight on the dot.
Arriving At An Event Or Appointment
When you mean showing up for a class, interview, party, or appointment, llegar still fits. Spanish also uses set phrases with estar or venir when you want to stress presence or movement.
- Llegué a la reunión temprano. — I arrived at the meeting early.
- Ya estoy aquí. — I’m here now.
- Ya voy. — I’m coming (I’m on my way).
Arrive In Spanish To English: The Main Translations
If you’re translating from English into Spanish, start with llegar. Then check whether you need a more formal register, a maritime or aviation feel, or a fixed expression used in announcements.
Llegar
Llegar is the everyday verb for “arrive,” “get in,” or “reach a destination.” It pairs naturally with a plus the destination: llegar a.
- El tren llega a Madrid a las nueve. — The train arrives in Madrid at nine.
- Llegaron al aeropuerto con tiempo. — They arrived at the airport with time to spare.
Arribar
Arribar can mean “arrive,” yet it sounds formal and can feel official in writing. You’ll meet it in news and legal text, and in some Latin American contexts. Many speakers still pick llegar in daily talk.
- La delegación arribó a la capital. — The delegation arrived in the capital.
- El buque arribó al puerto. — The ship arrived at the port.
Aterrizar
When the “arrival” is by plane, Spanish often says the plane “lands.” Use aterrizar for “to land.” You can then add a second clause with llegar for people arriving at a gate or terminal.
- El vuelo aterriza a las siete. — The flight lands at seven.
- Cuando llegues a la puerta 12, llámame. — When you arrive at gate 12, call me.
Presentarse
If “arrive” means “show up,” Spanish can use presentarse. It fits formal settings like interviews, court dates, or work shifts.
- Debe presentarse a las diez. — You must show up at ten.
- No se presentó a la cita. — He didn’t show up to the appointment.
Notice that Spanish can express “arrive” with a verb that names the mode (aterrizar), the social action (presentarse), or the simple fact of reaching a place (llegar). That choice is what makes translations feel native.
Prepositions And Patterns That Make “Llegar” Work
English uses “arrive in,” “arrive at,” and “arrive to” in set ways. Spanish builds the destination with a and the place, and it uses a different pattern for “arrive from.”
Llegar A + Place
This is the core pattern. Use a with most destinations.
- Llegar a la escuela — arrive at school
- Llegar al centro — arrive downtown
- Llegar a España — arrive in Spain
Llegar De/Desde + Origin
To say where you arrived from, Spanish uses de or desde.
- Llego de la oficina. — I’m coming from the office.
- Llegamos desde Barcelona. — We arrived from Barcelona.
Llegar A + Time
With clock time, the same a appears.
- Llegaré a las cinco. — I’ll arrive at five.
- Llegaron a las once. — They arrived at eleven.
Llegar Tarde / Llegar Temprano
Spanish often skips extra words and uses an adverb. It’s short, clear, and common in speech.
- Perdón, llegué tarde. — Sorry, I arrived late.
- Me gusta llegar temprano. — I like to arrive early.
These patterns do most of the work. If you can build llegar a smoothly, you can handle travel plans, class timing, and everyday meetups with ease.
Common “Arrive” Situations And The Best Spanish Choice
Below is a quick map from English intent to Spanish phrasing. Use it as a decision tool when you’re translating or writing.
| English Intent | Spanish Pick | Natural Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Arrive at a place | llegar | llegar a + destination |
| Arrive at a meeting | llegar | llegar a + event/place |
| Arrive on time | llegar | llegar a tiempo |
| Arrive late | llegar | llegar tarde |
| Arrive from somewhere | llegar | llegar de/desde + origin |
| Arrive (formal writing) | arribar | arribar a + place |
| Arrive (flight context) | aterrizar + llegar | El vuelo aterriza… / Llego a la puerta… |
| Arrive (show up as duty) | presentarse | presentarse a + time/place |
Pronunciation Notes That Help You Sound Natural
Spanish pronunciation is steady once you know a few rules. You don’t need to overthink it. Aim for clean vowels and a calm rhythm.
How To Say Llegar
Llegar starts with “ll.” In many regions it sounds like a soft “y.” In parts of Argentina and Uruguay it can sound closer to “sh” or “zh.” The last syllable carries the stress: lle-GAR.
How To Say Arribar
Arribar has a rolled rr. If you can’t roll it yet, aim for a firm tap plus extra airflow. Many listeners still understand you.
How To Say Aterrizar
Aterrizar stresses the last syllable as well: a-te-rri-ZAR. The “z” sound depends on region. In Spain it can sound like “th” in “think.” In much of Latin America it sounds like “s.”
“Arrive” In Real Spanish: Sentence Builds You Can Reuse
The fastest way to learn a verb is to reuse it in frames. Start with a frame, swap the place, then swap the time. You get dozens of correct lines with little effort.
Frame 1: I Arrive At + Place + At + Time
- Llego a la biblioteca a las cuatro. — I arrive at the library at four.
- Llegamos al campus a las ocho. — We arrive on campus at eight.
- Llega al trabajo a las nueve. — He arrives at work at nine.
Frame 2: When I Arrive, I…
Spanish often uses the present subjunctive after “when” talking about the future. You’ll see it with cuando.
- Cuando llegue, te escribo. — When I arrive, I’ll text you.
- Cuando llegues, empieza la clase. — When you arrive, class starts.
Frame 3: I Just Arrived
Use acabar de to say you just did something. It’s a clean match for “just arrived.”
- Acabo de llegar. — I just arrived.
- Acabamos de llegar al hotel. — We just arrived at the hotel.
Frame 4: Arrival Updates
For messages and updates, Spanish likes short lines.
- Ya llegué. — I arrived.
- Llego en diez minutos. — I’ll get there in ten minutes.
- Voy tarde, perdón. — I’m running late, sorry.
Conjugation Snapshot: Llegar Where Learners Trip Up
Llegar is regular in most forms, yet it changes spelling in the “yo” form of the preterite to keep the sound: llegué. That small accent mark and spelling shift show up a lot in stories and travel talk.
Also watch the present subjunctive forms used after cuando, en cuanto, and hasta que in future meaning. Those forms are common in plans and instructions.
| Tense Or Mood | “I Arrive” Form | Where You’ll Use It |
|---|---|---|
| Present | llego | Habits, schedules, live updates |
| Preterite | llegué | One finished arrival in the past |
| Imperfect | llegaba | Background action, repeated past timing |
| Future | llegaré | Predictions, firm plans |
| Conditional | llegaría | Polite tone, “would arrive” |
| Present subjunctive | llegue | Future “when I arrive,” wishes, doubt |
Translation Traps: “Arrive” Isn’t Always One Verb
Some English lines use “arrive” where Spanish picks a different verb. If you translate word for word, the sentence can feel off.
“Arrive” Meaning “Show Up”
If the sense is duty or obligation, presentarse may sound better than llegar.
- Debe presentarse mañana. — You must show up tomorrow.
- Llegar also works when it’s just physical arrival, not duty.
“Arrive” Meaning “Reach” A Result
English can say “arrive at an answer.” Spanish often uses llegar a plus a noun, or concluir in academic writing. Llegar a una conclusión is common and clear.
- Llegamos a una respuesta. — We arrived at an answer.
- Llegó a la conclusión correcta. — He reached the correct conclusion.
“Arrive” Meaning “It Arrived” For Packages
For deliveries, Spanish often uses llegar or entregar depending on whether you mean the package showed up or someone handed it over.
- Tu paquete ya llegó. — Your package arrived.
- Ya lo entregaron. — They already delivered it.
Mini Practice Plan To Lock It In
Use this short drill to make the verb automatic. It takes a few minutes and builds real speed.
Step 1: Write Three Destinations
- Pick three places you go often: home, school, work, a café.
- Write one line for each with llego a + place.
Step 2: Add A Time
- Add a las + time to each line.
- Read them out loud twice.
Step 3: Add A “When I Arrive” Line
- Write one plan using cuando llegue + action.
- Swap the subject: cuando llegues, cuando llegue.
Step 4: Send Yourself An Arrival Text
- Type Ya llegué and Llego en diez minutos into your notes app.
- Next time you need it, it’s ready.
Quick Self-Check Questions
Before you hit send on a message or turn in a sentence, run these checks. They catch most learner slips.
- Did I use llegar a for the destination?
- Did I use de or desde for the origin?
- If I wrote “when I arrive” about the future, did I use llegue?
- If the context is formal duty, would presentarse fit better?
With these patterns in hand, you can translate “arrive” into Spanish quickly, and your lines will sound like something a real speaker would say.