Spoken Description

Descubre las diferencias entre llegar y venir en español, cuándo usar cada verbo, y ejemplos de dirección y movimiento para evitar confusiones y expresarte con claridad.

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Discover the differences between llegar and venir in Spanish, when to use each verb, and examples of direction and movement to avoid confusion and express yourself clearly.

This short guide explains when to use llegar and venir with clear examples so you can choose naturally in everyday situations.

Llegar

Use llegar to talk about arriving at a specific place, focusing on the moment of arrival rather than movement relative to the speaker.

Use

Llegar highlights reaching a destination and can be followed by a place or event; it does not depend on the speaker’s location.

Vamos aal aeropuerto a tiempo.

We'll arrive at the airport on time.

(arrive) al aeropuerto a tiempo.

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Examples

Phrases

Common phrases with llegar include llegar a tiempo (arrive on time) and llegar tarde (arrive late), which emphasize punctuality.

Spanish SentenceEnglish Translation
Llegué a la estación a las siete.I arrived at the station at seven.
Ella siempre llega tarde al trabajo.She always arrives late to work.
Llegamos a la fiesta justo a tiempo.We arrived at the party just in time.

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Usa llegar para hablar de llegar a un lugar específico, enfocándote en el momento de la llegada y no en el movimiento en relación al hablante.

Venir

Use venir to express coming toward the speaker’s location or toward a reference point; it emphasizes movement in the direction of "here."

Use

Venir is used when the action is oriented toward the speaker or the place the speaker designates as "here," and it can imply invitation or arrival.

Vamos aal aeropuerto a tiempo.

We'll arrive at the airport on time.

(arrive) al aeropuerto a tiempo.

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Examples

Phrases

Phrases like venir conmigo (come with me) and venir a verme (come to see me) reinforce the idea of movement toward the speaker.

Spanish SentenceEnglish Translation
¿Puedes venir a mi casa mañana?Can you come to my house tomorrow?
Él viene todos los días a trabajar aquí.He comes here to work every day.
Ven conmigo al mercado.Come with me to the market.

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Usa venir para expresar que alguien se acerca a la ubicación del hablante o hacia un punto de referencia; enfatiza el movimiento en dirección a "aquí."

Summary

Use llegar to mark arrival at a place and venir to express movement toward the speaker or a designated "here"; choose based on whether the focus is on arrival or direction.

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