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
Aspect | Arriver | Venir |
---|---|---|
Meaning | to arrive (reach a destination) | to come (move toward someone/place) |
Focus | endpoint of a journey | movement toward a point/person |
Auxiliary verb | être | être |
Past participle | arrivé | venu |
Common prepositions | à, de, en (depending on context) | de (meaning “from” or “just”) |
Example | Il 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
French | English |
---|---|
arriver à l’heure | to arrive on time |
venir de Paris | to come from Paris |
venir chez quelqu’un | to come to someone’s house |
arriver en retard | to arrive late |
venir juste de sortir | to have just gone out |
Examples
Example (arriver) | English | Example (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
Arriver | Venir |
---|---|
Focuses on reaching a place or endpoint | Focuses on the act of coming toward a location or person |
Can be used with or without prepositions to specify location | Often requires prepositions (de, à, chez, etc.) to clarify direction or origin |
Used for stating that someone/something has reached a destination | Used for indicating approach or movement toward someone/something |
Examples: arriver à l’heure, arriver en retard, arriver de New York | Examples: 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