Arriver means “to arrive,” focusing on reaching a destination. Venir means “to come,” emphasizing movement toward the speaker or a specified location. Both are irregular and use être in compound tenses, but they follow different usage rules.

Key Differences

AspectArriverVenir
Meaningto arrive (reach a destination)to come (move toward someone/place)
Focusendpoint of a journeymovement toward a point/person
Auxiliary verbêtreêtre
Past participlearrivévenu
Common prepositionsà, de, en (depending on context)de (meaning “from” or “just”)
ExampleIl arrive à 8h. (He arrives at 8.)Elle vient chez moi. (She’s coming to my place.)

Usage Rules

  • Arriver can stand alone or be combined with prepositions to specify location or origin.
  • Venir often requires a prepositional phrase to indicate where someone is coming from or going to.
  • The verb venir + de + [infinitive] is a common construction meaning “just [did something]”: Je viens de manger. (I just ate.)

Common Expressions

FrenchEnglish
arriver à l’heureto arrive on time
venir de Paristo come from Paris
venir chez quelqu’unto come to someone’s house
arriver en retardto arrive late
venir juste de sortirto have just gone out

Examples

Example (arriver)EnglishExample (venir)English
Je suis arrivé à midi.I arrived at noon.Je viens de finir mes devoirs.I just finished my homework.
Ils arrivent demain.They arrive tomorrow.Elle vient avec nous.She’s coming with us.
Nous sommes arrivés en France.We arrived in France.Vous venez du Canada ?Are you coming from Canada?

Translate to English: Je viens de finir mes devoirs.


I just finished my homework.

Je viens de finir mes devoirs uses venir + de + infinitive to express a recent, completed action.

Translate to English: Je suis arrivé à midi.


I arrived at noon.

Je suis arrivé à midi means 'I arrived at noon,' using arriver to indicate reaching a point in time.

Summary

ArriverVenir
Focuses on reaching a place or endpointFocuses on the act of coming toward a location or person
Can be used with or without prepositions to specify locationOften requires prepositions (de, à, chez, etc.) to clarify direction or origin
Used for stating that someone/something has reached a destinationUsed for indicating approach or movement toward someone/something
Examples: arriver à l’heure, arriver en retard, arriver de New YorkExamples: venir de Paris, venir chez moi, venir avec toi
Understanding the nuanced roles of arriver and venir helps you describe movement and timing more accurately in French. Arriver is about reaching a final point, while venir is about coming toward a speaker or place.

Flashcards (1 of 8)

    • English: to arrive on time

    Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025

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