Two common German verbs related to movement are ankommen (to arrive) and kommen (to come). While both involve coming somewhere, they serve different grammatical and semantic roles. Ankommen always relates to reaching a destination or endpoint, specifying that the journey is complete. Kommen is more general, simply meaning "to come" toward a point of reference without implying arrival or completion.
Usage
- Kommen means "to come." It's a general verb for moving toward a place or person and does not specify whether the journey has been completed.
- Ankommen means "to arrive." It specifies that someone or something has reached a destination or endpoint.
- Ankommen is often used with prepositions like in (in a city or country) or auf (on a day or at a time), while kommen can be used more flexibly.
- In most contexts where you talk about "arriving," ankommen is the correct choice.
Examples
| Context | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|
| Simple coming | Ich komme nach Hause. | I'm coming home. |
| Arrival at a place | Ich komme in Berlin an. | I'm arriving in Berlin. |
| Announcement of arrival | Der Zug kommt um 10 Uhr an. | The train arrives at 10 a.m. |
| Coming to a person | Komm bitte her! | Please come here! |
| Arrival at a time | Wir kommen um 8 Uhr an. | We arrive at 8 o'clock. |
Complete this sentence in German: “We arrive at 8 o’clock.”
Wir kommen um 8 Uhr an.
Use **ankommen** to emphasize reaching the destination, with the time introduced by **um**. The prefix **an** goes to the end.
Complete this sentence in German: “The train arrives at 10 a.m.”
Der Zug kommt um 10 Uhr an.
Arrival at a specific time uses **ankommen** with the time in the accusative case (um 10 Uhr). The prefix **an** goes to the end.
Tips
- Use ankommen when you want to emphasize that the journey or movement is complete and the destination has been reached.
- Use kommen when referring to the act of coming or moving toward someone or something, without focusing on the endpoint.
- Remember that ankommen is a separable prefix verb. In main clauses, the prefix an moves to the end of the sentence (e.g., Ich komme an).
Summary
- Kommen = to come (general movement toward a point)
- Ankommen = to arrive (reach a destination)
- Use ankommen for arrival and completion.
- Use kommen for general coming or moving toward.
Flashcards (1 of 5)
- Context: Simple coming
- English Example: I'm coming home.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
