aterrizar
/ah-teh-ree-SAHR/
to land
A plane landing, illustrating the literal meaning of 'aterrizar' (to land).
aterrizar(verb)
to land
?aircraft, bird, or spacecraft
to touch down
?aviation
📝 In Action
El avión va a aterrizar en diez minutos.
A2The plane is going to land in ten minutes.
El piloto aterrizó la nave perfectamente a pesar del viento.
B1The pilot landed the craft perfectly despite the wind.
Vimos a un águila aterrizar en la cima de la montaña.
B1We saw an eagle land on the top of the mountain.
💡 Grammar Points
Spelling Change Rule (Z to C)
To keep the 'z' sound clear when followed by the vowel 'e', the 'z' changes to a 'c'. This happens in the 'yo' form of the past tense (yo aterricé) and throughout the entire present subjunctive (que yo aterrice).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting the Z->C Change
Mistake: "The common error is writing 'yo aterrizé' in the past tense."
Correction: Always change the 'z' to 'c' when the next vowel is 'e': 'yo aterricé'. This rule applies to all verbs ending in -zar.
⭐ Usage Tips
Use with 'En'
You usually say aterrizar en (to land in/at) followed by the location: 'Aterrizamos en Madrid.' (We landed in Madrid.)
A traveler arriving at a final destination after a long process, demonstrating the figurative meaning of 'aterrizar' (to end up somewhere).
aterrizar(verb)
to end up (somewhere)
?fig., arriving after a process
,to grasp reality
?fig., to understand a complex situation
to show up
?informal arrival
,to come down to earth
?fig., becoming realistic
📝 In Action
Después de la crisis, mi hermano aterrizó en un pequeño pueblo de la costa.
B2After the crisis, my brother ended up (landed) in a small coastal town.
Ella necesita aterrizar a la realidad y dejar de gastar tanto dinero.
C1She needs to come down to earth (grasp reality) and stop spending so much money.
Finalmente, el equipo aterrizó la idea y la presentó a la gerencia.
C1Finally, the team grasped the idea and presented it to management.
💡 Grammar Points
Meaning Shift
When used figuratively, 'aterrizar' implies arriving somewhere, usually after a long journey or a difficult process, suggesting effort or surprise in the final destination.
⭐ Usage Tips
Figurative Preposition
When meaning 'to grasp reality,' it often uses the preposition 'a': 'aterrizar a la realidad' (to land to reality).
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: aterrizar
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'aterrizar' in its figurative sense?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'aterrizar' only used for aircraft?
No, while it's most common for planes, you can also use it for birds, spacecraft, or even people making a jump. More importantly, it's frequently used metaphorically to mean 'to finally arrive' or 'to face reality.'
Does 'aterrizar' require a direct object?
It can be used both ways. It is often used without an object (intransitive): 'El avión aterrizó' (The plane landed). But it can also take an object if the subject is actively controlling the landing: 'El piloto aterrizó el avión' (The pilot landed the plane).