A clear explanation of the difference between the Spanish verbs llegar (to arrive) and venir (to come), including their meanings, uses, examples, and common mistakes to help learners use them correctly.
In Spanish, both llegar and venir involve movement and getting somewhere, but they focus on different aspects. Llegar means “to arrive” — it’s about reaching a destination, no matter where it is. Venir means “to come” — it’s about moving toward the speaker’s or listener’s location. Understanding the difference helps you describe travel and visits more naturally.
- Llegar = to arrive, to reach a place
- Venir = to come (toward “here”)
- Key tip: llegar is about the endpoint; venir is about direction toward the speaker
When to Use Llegar
Use llegar when the focus is on the moment of arriving or reaching a destination. It doesn’t matter where — it can be anywhere. You’re just saying someone or something has gotten there.
- Llegar a la escuela (arrive at school)
- Llegar al aeropuerto (arrive at the airport)
- Llegar tarde (arrive late)
Example sentences:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Llego a casa a las ocho. | I arrive home at eight. |
| ¿A qué hora llegan los invitados? | What time do the guests arrive? |
| Llegué antes de que empezara la reunión. | I arrived before the meeting started. |
When to Use Venir
Use venir when someone is moving toward the speaker’s (or listener’s) location — basically, when the action is “coming here.” It implies direction and is often used when inviting or explaining someone’s movement toward a shared place.
- Venir a casa (come home)
- Venir aquí (come here)
- Venir con amigos (come with friends)
Example sentences:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¿Vienes a la fiesta? | Are you coming to the party? |
| Mis abuelos vienen de visita mañana. | My grandparents are coming for a visit tomorrow. |
| Ven a cenar con nosotros. | Come have dinner with us. |
¿___ a la fiesta?
Choose the correct Spanish verb for 'come' in the sentence: 'Are you ____ to the party?'
vienes
'Venir' (vienes) is used because the action is coming toward the location of the party.
Using Both in Similar Situations
Sometimes you can use llegar or venir in the same context, but the meaning changes:
- Llego a tu casa a las nueve. (I arrive at your house at nine — focus on the time of arrival.)
- Vengo a tu casa a las nueve. (I’m coming to your house at nine — focus on the movement toward you.)
- Llegaron al aeropuerto. (They arrived at the airport.)
- Vinieron al aeropuerto. (They came to the airport — possibly where the speaker is waiting.)
Both are correct, but the choice depends on what you want to emphasize: the act of arriving or the action of coming.
Common Mistakes
- Using venir instead of llegar when talking about scheduled arrivals:
- ¿Vienes el tren a las 10? (Is the train coming at 10? — sounds like the train is “coming here,” but is awkward.)
- ¿Llega el tren a las 10? (Does the train arrive at 10? — correct for schedules.)
- Using llegar when the idea is about visiting or moving toward someone’s place:
- Llegaron a mi casa para la cena. (They arrived at my house for dinner — grammatically fine but less natural.)
- Vinieron a mi casa para la cena. (They came to my house for dinner — more natural.)
- Omitting the preposition a after llegar:
- Llegué casa tarde. (I arrived home late.)
- Llegué a casa tarde. (I arrived home late.)
What is the error in 'Llegué casa tarde'?
The preposition 'a' is missing after 'llegué'.
'Llegar' requires the preposition 'a' before the destination (Llegué a casa tarde).
Quick Grammar Tips
- Llegar is usually followed by a + destination:
- Llegar a la oficina, llegar al hotel, llegar a tiempo
- Venir can be followed by a + destination when specifying “where,” especially if it’s “here”:
- Venir a la oficina, venir a casa
- Both verbs can be used with time expressions:
- Llegamos a las siete, venimos temprano
- Use venir to express invitations or movements toward the speaker:
- ¿Vienes conmigo? (Are you coming with me?)
- Ven aquí. (Come here.)
Summary
- Llegar = to arrive/to reach a place; focus on the endpoint or moment of arrival
- Venir = to come (toward the speaker’s or listener’s location); focus on the action of moving “here”
- Use llegar when talking about getting somewhere or scheduled arrivals
- Use venir when talking about visiting, moving toward “here,” or joining someone
- Both can be correct in some contexts, but the meaning and nuance differ
Last updated: Thu Jun 5, 2025
