How to Say "to come" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to come” is “llegar” — use 'llegar' when describing the act of arriving at a specific place or destination, regardless of the speaker's location..
llegar
/yeh-GAR//ʝeˈɣaɾ/
Examples
El avión llega a las diez de la mañana.
The plane arrives at ten in the morning.
El tren llega a las cinco.
The train arrives at five.
Normalmente llego a casa a las seis de la tarde.
I normally get home at six in the evening.
Mis padres llegaron ayer de sus vacaciones.
My parents arrived yesterday from their vacation.
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).
'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?).
venir
/beh-NEER//beˈniɾ/
Examples
¿Vienes a mi casa después del trabajo?
Are you coming to my house after work?
¿Vienes a la fiesta esta noche?
Are you coming to the party tonight?
Mis padres vienen de visita el fin de semana.
My parents are coming to visit this weekend.
¡Ven aquí ahora mismo!
Come here right now!
The Golden Rule: Venir vs. Ir
'Venir' means movement towards the speaker ('Come here!'), while 'ir' means movement away from the speaker ('Go there!'). If someone is coming to you or to where you are, use 'venir'.
Mixing up 'Venir' and 'Llegar'
Mistake: “Using 'venir' when you mean to arrive somewhere you are not currently located.”
Correction: 'Venir' is about the journey towards. 'Llegar' is about the moment of arrival. 'El tren llega a las cinco' (The train arrives at five).
Forgetting the Irregular 'yo' Form
Mistake: “Yo vieno a la fiesta.”
Correction: Use 'Yo vengo'. The 'yo' form in the present tense is special and adds a 'g', just like in 'tengo' (from tener) or 'pongo' (from poner).
Llegar vs. Venir: Direction Matters
Related Translations
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