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llegué

yeh-GAY/ʎeˈɣe/

“llegué” means “I arrived” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

I arrived

Also: I got (there), I reached
VerbA1Spelling-change (Car, Gar, Zar) ar
A happy hiker stands on a mountain summit, looking down at a small village in the valley below, symbolizing the completion of a journey.
infinitivellegar
gerundllegando
past Participlellegado

📝 In Action

Llegué a casa muy tarde anoche.

A1

I arrived home very late last night.

Cuando llegué al aeropuerto, el vuelo ya se había ido.

A2

When I got to the airport, the flight had already left.

¿Viste mi mensaje? ¡Llegué!

A1

Did you see my message? I'm here! (I arrived!)

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • llegar a tiempo – to arrive on time
  • llegar tarde – to arrive late

I reached

Also: I attained, I got to (the point)
VerbB1Spelling-change (Car, Gar, Zar) ar
A student in a graduation cap and gown smiles broadly while holding a diploma scroll triumphantly overhead, symbolizing the achievement of a goal.
infinitivellegar
gerundllegando
past Participlellegado

📝 In Action

Después de tres horas de debate, finalmente llegué a una conclusión.

B1

After three hours of debate, I finally reached a conclusion.

Llegué a entender por qué actuaste de esa manera.

B2

I came to understand why you acted that way.

Gracias a su ayuda, llegué a mi meta.

B1

Thanks to your help, I reached my goal.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • llegar a un acuerdo – to reach an agreement
  • llegar a ser – to become (eventually)

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedllega
yollego
túllegas
ellos/ellas/ustedesllegan
nosotrosllegamos
vosotrosllegáis

imperfect

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

preterite

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

subjunctive

present

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

imperfect

él/ella/ustedllegara / llegase
yollegara / llegase
túllegaras / llegases
ellos/ellas/ustedesllegaran / llegasen
nosotrosllegáramos / llegásemos
vosotrosllegarais / llegaseis
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "llegué" in Spanish:

i attained→i reached→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: llegué

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'llegué' to mean 'I reached a point or milestone'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
llegar(to arrive) — Verb
la llegada(arrival) — Noun
llegada(arrived (f.)) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
busquétoquéexpliqué
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin verb *plicāre*, meaning 'to fold' or 'to roll up.' Over time, its meaning shifted in Spanish, transforming to mean 'to finish a path' or 'to reach the end,' hence our meaning of 'to arrive.'

First recorded: 10th century (in Old Spanish)

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: chegarFrench: plier

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Frequently Asked Questions

How is 'llegué' different from 'estuve'?

'Llegué' focuses on the movement and the *moment* of arrival ('I arrived at 5 PM'). 'Estuve' is the preterite of 'estar' and focuses on the state of being in a place for a period ('I was at the library yesterday').

Does 'llegué' require a helping verb in Spanish?

No. 'Llegué' is a single, complete verb form (I arrived). You do not need 'he' or 'have' like in English ('I have arrived').