Venir vs Llegar: How to Use these Two Spanish Verbs
Venir and llegar both have lots of similar uses, so sometimes it can be hard to tell the difference between the two.
These words usually mean “to come” or “to arrive” and are sometimes interchangeable. So, how do you know when to use one or the other?
Our detailed venir vs llegar guide tells you not only how to conjugate these verbs, but also how to use them. Take a look at our list of example sentences and explanations before trying the fun interactive quiz at the end.
Get ready to never mix up venir and llegar again!
How to Conjugate Venir
Venir is somewhat of an irregular verb, so its conjugations don’t always follow the typical rules. Luckily, you can just take a look at these helpful venir conjugation tables!
| Pronoun | Present Tense Conjugation |
| yo | vengo |
| tú | vienes |
| él, ella, Ud. | viene |
| nosotros | venimos |
| ellos, ellas, Uds. | vienen |
| Pronoun | Preterite Tense Conjugation |
| yo | vine |
| tú | viniste |
| él, ella, Ud. | vino |
| nosotros | vinimos |
| ellos, ellas, Uds. | vinieron |
How to Use Venir
Venir is one of those Spanish words that have multiple uses. Venir roughly translates as “to come” in English but there are multiple ways to use it. That’s why we put together this detailed guide that lists each of its uses.
One distinct aspect about venir is that the destination must be where the speaker is located. In other words, the person doing the action is always heading towards the speaker. Take a look at this example:
Mario viene a mi casa.
Mario is coming to my house.
Notice how Mario is heading to where the speaker is already located (my house). Read on for more examples of this verb so you can easily tell apart venir and llegar.
To Move From One Place to Another
Example Sentences
El tren viene de Guatemala.
The train comes from Guatemala.
Ella vino en el vuelo de las 7pm.
She arrived on the 7 pm flight.
To Return
Example Sentences
Vine a la casa para cenar.
I came back home for dinner.
El gato vendrá cuando tenga hambre.
The cat will be back when he’s hungry.
Venir de — To Come From
Example Sentences
Gabriel viene de Colombia.
Gabriel is from Colombia.
To be Available
Example Sentences
Los subtítulos de la película vienen en español.
The subtitles for the movie are in Spanish.
Esta comida viene ya hecha.
This food comes pre-made.
To Occur
Example Sentences
¡Ya mismo viene la Pascua!
Easter is coming soon!
Tu cumpleaños viene ya mismo.
Your birthday is coming up soon.
To be Overcome by
Example Sentences
Me viene sueño en el trabajo después de almorzar.
I get drowsy at work after having lunch.
A nosotros nos vino una gripe terrible.
We got a terrible flu.
(Por) venir — To Indicate the Future
Example Sentences
Lo mejor está por venir.
The best is yet to come.
Ahora viene la escena que me gusta.
The scene I like is coming up.
Que venir — To be Next
Example Sentences
El año que viene visitaremos España.
Next year we’re traveling to Spain.
Lo estudiaremos el curso que viene.
We’ll be studying it next year.
Venir bien/mal — To be Convenient
Example Sentences
Este fin de semana me viene un poco mal.
This weekend isn’t too good for me.
¿Te viene bien reunirnos mañana a las 3 pm?
Does meeting at 3 pm tomorrow work for you?
A las 8 me viene mal, ¿podemos salir a las 9?
8:00 is inconvenient for me, can we leave at 9?
Venga — To Express Encouragement
Example Sentences
¡Venga portero!
Come on, goalie!
¡Venga! Vamos a la fiesta. No seas un aguafiesta.
Come on! Let’s go to the party. Don’t be a party pooper.
Venirle — To Indicate Suitability
Example Sentences
La falda me viene ancha.
The skirt is too loose for me.
El abrigo te viene algo pequeño.
The coat is rather small on or for you.
¿Me viene bien este gorro?
Does this hat look good on me?
Venir al pelo — To be Perfect
Example Sentence
El vestido me viene al pelo, voy a comprarlo sin dudas.
The dress is perfect for me, I’m going to buy it without a doubt.
How to Conjugate Llegar
Luckily, llegar usually follows the normal conjugation rules except for a few irregularities. However, you can still use these llegar conjugation tables for reference.
| Pronoun | Present Tense Conjugation |
| yo | llego |
| tú | llegas |
| él, ella, Ud. | llega |
| nosotros | llegamos |
| ellos, ellas, Uds. | llegan |
| Pronoun | Preterite Tense Conjugation |
| yo | llegué |
| tú | llegaste |
| él, ella, Ud. | llegó |
| nosotros | llegamos |
| ellos, ellas, Uds. | llegaron |
Llegar vs Volver
Another important distinction to make is the difference between llegar and volver. While these two verbs seem similar, they’re actually used in different ways. Llegar means “to arrive” while volver means “to return.”
Take a look at some examples that show how to use volver.
Example Sentences
Tengo que volver al trabajo.
I have to go back to work.
Quiero volver a España.
I want to go back to Spain.
Se volvió a España porque no encontró trabajo acá.
He returned to Spain because he couldn’t find work here.
How to Use Llegar
Llegar means “to arrive” in English, but again there are lots of different uses for this verb. To solidify your understanding of venir vs llegar, take a look at this list of ways to use llegar in Spanish.
Llegar (a) — To Reach a Place
Example Sentences
¿Sabes si ya llegó Maria?
Do you know if Maria has arrived yet?
Voy a llegar al restaurante un poco atrasado.
I am going to get to the restaurant a little late.
To be the Time for
Example Sentences
El fin de semana llegó rápido.
The weekend came quickly.
Este año el verano ha sido lento en llegar.
Summer has been slow to arrive this year.
To be Sufficient
Example Sentence
No me llega el sueldo, así que voy a pedir un aumento.
My salary is not enough, so I’m going to ask for a raise.
Llegar (a) — To Extend
Example Sentence
¿Llegas al teléfono desde la cama?
Can you reach the telephone from the bed?
Llegar a — To be Able to
Example Sentence
¿Llegaste a ver el eclipse?
Did you manage to see the eclipse?
To Hold Up
Example Sentence
Ojalá estas llantas me lleguen otras cien mil millas.
Hopefully, these tires will last me another hundred thousand miles.
Llegar (a) — To Get to
Example Sentences
Espero llegar a ser rico.
I hope I get to be rich.
Mi sueño es llegar a los cien años.
My dream is to make it to a hundred.
Llegar vs Volver Quiz
See if you can tell when to use llegar vs volver in this fun interactive quiz!
1. Maria __ de México. (Maria is from Mexico.)
2. ___ para cenar. (She will come for dinner.)
3. Por fin, Carlos ha ___. (Finally, Carlos has arrived.)
4. ¿Te ___ bien quedar mañana a mediodía? (Does meeting at noon tomorrow work for you?)
5. El terreno de mi padre ___ hasta el bosque. (My father's land stretches to the forest.)
6. Mi sueldo no ___ para pagar la universidad a nuestros hijos. (My salary isn't enough to pay for our children's university.)
7. Su madre ___ a presidente de la compañía. (His mother became president of the company.)
8. Ese color le ___ al salón. (That color suits the room.)
9. Los abuelos ___ a visitarnos esta tarde. (The grandparents are coming to visit us this afternoon.)
10. El tren ___ a Madrid con retraso. (The train arrived in Madrid late.)
Practice Using Venir and Llegar with a Free Class!
Pat yourself on the back for learning the difference between venir and llegar! Check out our other grammar guides to further level up your Spanish skills. But if you really want to achieve fluency faster, then sign up for a free trial class!
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