llegado
/yeh-GAH-doh/
arrived
As a past participle, llegado means 'arrived' and is used with the verb 'haber' to form compound tenses, like 'I have 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.
💡 Grammar Points
Making 'Have Done' Sentences
You use 'llegado' with a form of the verb 'haber' (to have) to talk about things that have happened. For example, 'he llegado' means 'I have arrived'. In this structure, 'llegado' never changes its ending.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Always 'llegado' with 'haber'
Mistake: "Mi hermana ha llegada."
Correction: Mi hermana ha llegado. When you use 'llegado' with 'haber' to mean 'have arrived', the ending is always '-o', no matter who or what you're talking about.
⭐ Usage Tips
Recent Past
This 'haber' + 'llegado' form is perfect for talking about recent events, especially when they have a connection to the present moment, just like in English.
When used as an adjective, llegado describes a noun that has reached its destination, such as 'the arrived package'.
llegado(Adjective)
arrived
?describing a noun, e.g., 'the arrived package'
welcome
?in the phrase 'bien llegado'
📝 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.
💡 Grammar Points
Adjectives Must Match
When 'llegado' is used to describe something, it acts like any other adjective and must match the thing it describes. It can change to 'llegada' (for feminine things), 'llegados' (for plural masculine), or 'llegadas' (for plural feminine).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting to Match
Mistake: "La gente llegado de otros países..."
Correction: La gente llegada de otros países... Because 'la gente' (the people) is a feminine word, the adjective must also be feminine: 'llegada'.
⭐ Usage Tips
A More Formal Sound
Using 'llegado' as an adjective often sounds a bit more formal or literary than saying, for example, 'el tren que llegó' (the train that arrived). It's a great way to make your Spanish sound more sophisticated.
As a noun, llegado (often recién llegado) refers to a newcomer or a person who has recently arrived.
📝 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.
💡 Grammar Points
From Action to Person
'Llegado' can refer to the person who has done the action of arriving. Just like in English you can say 'the departed' to mean 'people who have left,' Spanish can use 'el llegado' to mean 'the one who has arrived'.
⭐ Usage Tips
Stick with 'Recién Llegado'
You'll almost always see this noun form paired with 'recién' (newly, recently). 'Un recién llegado' is a very natural and common way to say 'a newcomer'.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: llegado
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'llegado' to describe the letters?
📚 More Resources
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?).