llegando
“llegando” means “arriving” in Spanish (physical movement or time).
arriving, reaching
Also: getting in, coming
📝 In Action
Estamos llegando tarde al aeropuerto.
A1We are arriving late to the airport.
Ella sigue llegando tarde a todas las citas.
B1She keeps arriving late to all the appointments.
La tormenta está llegando a la costa ahora mismo.
A2The storm is reaching the coast right now.
Llevamos tres horas caminando, y estamos llegando al límite.
B2We've been walking for three hours, and we are reaching the limit.
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: llegando
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'llegando' to describe an ongoing action?
📚 More Resources
📚 Etymology▼
"Llegar" comes from the Vulgar Latin word *plicare*, which originally meant 'to fold' or 'to bend.' Over time, in Old Spanish, this meaning shifted radically to 'to reach the end of a journey' or 'to arrive.'
First recorded: c. 13th century (in the form 'llegar')
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'llegando' a verb or an adjective?
'Llegando' is a verb form, specifically the gerund (the '-ing' form). It is used to create continuous tenses, like 'We are arriving' (Estamos llegando), and always describes an action.
Can I use 'llegando' by itself without 'estar'?
Yes, but it changes its job! Used alone, it acts like an adverb, describing how or when something else happens: 'Llegando a la casa, vi a mi perro' (Arriving at the house, I saw my dog).