When to use llegar and regresar?

Question

Maria siempre llega a casa a las seis de la noche. Why cant use regresa instead?

Answer 1

Why not? From our dictionary:

regresó a su casa después de dos meses en el extranjero -> she returned home after two months abroad

Just as in English, though, it could have a difference in meaning. Llegar is specifically when you arrive back at your house. Regresar could be when you leave work to return home up until you arrive there. Regresar is a more indefinite moment in time that llegar.

¡Bienvenida al foro!

Welcome to the forum!

Answer 2

Thank you all!

Answer 3

It all depends on contexts, although these verbs have a definite meaning in both languages.

Llegar - arrive

I arrive home, usually it means you are coming back, because at one time or another you got out of it.

But you can always arrive to a store without ever being there.

Regresar/retornar - return/come back means exactly that. To return.

Same thing in Spanish.

So, in the case of the orihinal question, both can be used to mean the same thing. Because Maria arrives/returns home at 6 pm everyday from the office... or whatever.

Answer 4

Hi, Grace.

You can say either "I arrive (llegar) home" or "I return (regresar) home."