llegar
/yeh-GAR/
to arrive
The most common use of llegar is 'to arrive' or 'to get to' a destination.
llegar(Verb)
to arrive
?reaching a destination
to get to
?e.g., 'get to the office'
,to come
?when describing arrival at a place
📝 In Action
El tren llega a las cinco.
A1The train arrives at five.
Normalmente llego a casa a las seis de la tarde.
A1I normally get home at six in the evening.
Mis padres llegaron ayer de sus vacaciones.
A2My parents arrived yesterday from their vacation.
💡 Grammar Points
The 'gué' Spelling Change
To keep the 'g' sound hard (like in 'go'), the 'yo' form in the simple past (preterite) changes from 'g' to 'gu'. So, 'llegar' becomes 'llegué' (I arrived). The same happens in the present subjunctive ('llegue').
Use 'a' for Destinations
When you say you arrive at a place, use the word 'a'. For example, 'Llego a la estación' (I arrive at the station).
❌ Common Pitfalls
'llegar' vs. 'venir'
Mistake: "Using 'llegar' when you mean movement towards the speaker."
Correction: 'Llegar' focuses on the destination ('Llego a tu casa a las 8' - I'll get to your house at 8). 'Venir' means 'to come' towards the person speaking ('¿Vienes a mi casa a las 8?' - Are you coming to my house at 8?).
⭐ Usage Tips
Focus on the End Point
Think of 'llegar' as marking the end of a journey. It's all about reaching the destination, no matter how you got there.
Llegar can also mean 'to reach' a certain physical point or level.
llegar(Verb)
to reach
?physical height or a certain point
to be enough
?for money or supplies
,to last
?for a period of time
📝 In Action
La falda me llega hasta las rodillas.
B1The skirt reaches my knees.
Con este dinero, no nos llega para las entradas.
B1With this money, it's not enough for the tickets.
Espero que la comida llegue para todos los invitados.
B2I hope the food is enough for all the guests.
⭐ Usage Tips
Often Used in the Negative
You'll frequently hear 'no llega' to mean 'it's not enough' or 'it doesn't reach'. For example, 'El sueldo no me llega' means 'My salary isn't enough.'
When used as 'llegar a ser', the verb means 'to become' or achieve a status after a process.
llegar(Verb)
to become
?as part of the phrase 'llegar a ser'
to get to be
?implying a process over time
,to manage to
?as part of 'llegar a + verb'
📝 In Action
Con mucho esfuerzo, llegó a ser el director de la empresa.
B2With a lot of effort, he became the director of the company.
Si estudias mucho, puedes llegar a ser lo que quieras.
B2If you study hard, you can become whatever you want.
¿Llegaste a ver la película que te recomendé?
B2Did you manage to see the movie I recommended to you?
💡 Grammar Points
'llegar a' + Verb
This structure means 'to end up doing' or 'to manage to do' something, often implying it was unexpected or took effort. For example, 'Llegué a entender el problema' means 'I eventually understood the problem.'
⭐ Usage Tips
For Changes Over Time
'Llegar a ser' is perfect for describing a change that happened after a long process, like a career promotion or developing a skill. It's not for sudden changes.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
preterite
imperfect
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: llegar
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'llegar' to mean 'to be enough'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'llegar', 'ir', and 'venir'?
'Llegar' is about arriving at a destination ('Llego a Madrid'). 'Ir' is about going to a destination ('Voy a Madrid'). 'Venir' is about coming towards the speaker ('¿Vienes a mi casa?'). Think of it as: Arrive, Go, Come.
Why does 'llegar' sometimes become 'llegué' or 'llegue'?
It's to keep the sound right! The letter 'g' in Spanish sounds hard (like in 'go') before 'a' or 'o' ('llego'), but soft (like 'h' in 'hello') before 'e' or 'i'. To keep the hard 'g' sound in forms like the past tense 'yo' ('llegué') and the subjunctive ('llegue'), we add a silent 'u' after the 'g'.