llegado
“llegado” means “arrived” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
arrived
📝 In Action
He llegado a la oficina.
A1I have arrived at the office.
¿Ya han llegado tus padres?
A2Have your parents arrived yet?
Cuando llamaste, ya habíamos llegado al cine.
B1When you called, we had already arrived at the cinema.
arrived
Also: welcome
📝 In Action
El tren llegado de París está en el andén 2.
B1The train (that has) arrived from Paris is on platform 2.
Todos los pasajeros recién llegados deben ir a la aduana.
B2All newly arrived passengers must go to customs.
La carta llegada ayer contenía buenas noticias.
B1The letter that arrived yesterday contained good news.
newcomer
📝 In Action
Como recién llegado, todavía estoy aprendiendo a moverme por la ciudad.
B2As a newcomer, I'm still learning to get around the city.
Dieron una fiesta para los recién llegados a la empresa.
B2They threw a party for the newcomers to the company.
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: llegado
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'llegado' to describe the letters?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word 'plicāre', which meant 'to fold'. Sailors would 'fold' the sails when they reached a port, so the word's meaning shifted over time from folding sails to reaching the shore, and finally, to simply 'arrive'.
First recorded: Around the 10th century.
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'llegado' and 'llegada'?
When you say 'have arrived' (e.g., 'he llegado'), you always use 'llegado'. But when you use it as an adjective to describe something, it needs to match! Use 'llegado' for masculine things ('el paquete llegado') and 'llegada' for feminine things ('la carta llegada').
When should I use 'llegué' versus 'he llegado'?
Good question! Use 'llegué' (I arrived) for a specific, completed moment in the past, like 'Llegué ayer a las cinco' (I arrived yesterday at five). Use 'he llegado' (I have arrived) when the arrival is more recent or has a connection to the present, like '¡He llegado! ¿Dónde están todos?' (I've arrived! Where is everyone?).