Inklingo
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A steam train pulling into a small station with steam billowing from its engine.

llegaba

yeh-GAH-bah

verbA2regular ar
was arriving?describing an action in progress in the past
Also:used to arrive?describing a past habit or routine,reached?reaching a physical point or level in the past

Quick Reference

gerundllegando
past Participlellegado
infinitivellegar

📝 In Action

Yo siempre llegaba tarde a la escuela.

A2

I always used to arrive late to school.

Cuando ella llegaba, nosotros estábamos saliendo.

B1

When she was arriving, we were leaving.

El agua me llegaba a las rodillas.

B1

The water was reaching my knees.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • venía (was coming)
  • arribaba (was arriving (formal))

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • llegaba a tiempo – used to arrive on time
  • llegaba a su fin – was coming to an end

💡 Grammar Points

Painting the Background

Use 'llegaba' to set the scene or describe what was happening when something else occurred.

Habits in the Past

This word is perfect for talking about routines you had, like 'I used to arrive at 8 AM every day.'

❌ Common Pitfalls

Llegó vs. Llegaba

Mistake: "Using 'llegó' to mean 'I used to arrive.'"

Correction: Use 'llegó' for a one-time event (I arrived) and 'llegaba' for a habit (I used to arrive).

⭐ Usage Tips

Matching the Person

Remember that 'llegaba' can mean 'I', 'he', 'she', or 'you (formal).' Context will tell you who the speaker is talking about!

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesllegaran
yollegara
túllegaras
vosotrosllegarais
nosotrosllegáramos
él/ella/ustedllegara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedeslleguen
yollegue
túllegues
vosotroslleguéis
nosotroslleguemos
él/ella/ustedllegue

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesllegaron
yollegué
túllegaste
vosotrosllegasteis
nosotrosllegamos
él/ella/ustedllegó

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesllegaban
yollegaba
túllegabas
vosotrosllegabais
nosotrosllegábamos
él/ella/ustedllegaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesllegan
yollego
túllegas
vosotrosllegáis
nosotrosllegamos
él/ella/ustedllega
View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: llegaba

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence means 'I used to arrive at 5:00'?

📚 More Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'llegaba' only mean 'I was arriving'?

No, it can also mean 'he was arriving', 'she was arriving', or 'you (formal) were arriving'. You often need to include the person's name or a pronoun like 'yo' or 'ella' to be clear.

When do I use 'llegaba' instead of 'llegó'?

Use 'llegaba' for things that happened repeatedly or for actions that were ongoing. Use 'llegó' for a specific moment when the arrival was completed.