llega
“llega” means “he/she/it arrives” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
he/she/it arrives, you arrive
Also: he/she/it gets here/there
📝 In Action
El tren llega a las cinco de la tarde.
A1The train arrives at five in the afternoon.
Mi hermana llega mañana de su viaje.
A1My sister arrives tomorrow from her trip.
Disculpe, ¿usted llega ahora o está esperando a alguien?
A2Excuse me, are you arriving now or are you waiting for someone?
El paquete que esperabas por fin llega hoy.
B1The package you were waiting for finally arrives today.
arrive!
Also: get here!
📝 In Action
¡Llega a tiempo a la cita, por favor!
A2Arrive on time to the appointment, please!
Si quieres cenar, ¡llega antes de las ocho!
B1If you want to have dinner, get here before eight!
it is enough
Also: it reaches
📝 In Action
El dinero no llega para comprar un coche nuevo.
B1The money isn't enough to buy a new car.
Con este esfuerzo, no llega para ganar el campeonato.
B2With this effort, it's not enough to win the championship.
La falda me llega hasta las rodillas.
B1The skirt reaches my knees.
Indicative
Present
Imperfect
Preterite
Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: llega
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'llega' as a command?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Latin word 'plicāre', which meant 'to fold'. It developed the sense of folding sails when reaching a port, which then evolved into the general meaning of 'to arrive' or 'to reach land'.
First recorded: Around the 10th century.
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if 'llega' means 'he arrives' or is a command?
Context is everything! If someone is talking about a third person ('Mi amigo llega...') it's a statement. If they are talking directly to you and giving an instruction, often with exclamation marks ('¡Llega temprano!'), it's a command.
Is there a difference between 'llega' and 'viene'?
'Llega' focuses on the endpoint, the arrival at a destination. 'El tren llega a Madrid.' (The train arrives in Madrid). 'Viene' focuses on the movement towards the speaker. 'Mi madre viene a mi casa.' (My mother is coming to my house). They can sometimes overlap, but 'llega' is about reaching the goal, while 'viene' is about the journey towards here.