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"Venir" is an intransitive verb which is often translated as "to come", and "llegar a" is a transitive verb phrase which is often translated as "to get to". Learn more about the difference between "venir" and "llegar a" below.
venir(
beh
-
neer
)An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
2. (to return)
5. (to occur)
a. to get
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.
a. to come
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.
b. next (followed by a timeframe)
La semana que viene estaré trabajando desde casa.I'll be working from home next week.
El año que viene visitaremos Japón.Next year we're traveling to Japan.
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
Unas largas vacaciones ahora me vendrían bien.A long vacation now would do me nicely.
Estas botas me vendrán bien cuando haya mucha nieve.These boots will come in handy when it's very snowy.
b. to work for
¿Te viene bien reunirnos mañana a las 4 pm?Does meeting at 4 pm tomorrow work for you?
a. to pick up
Avísale a Sofía que sus amigas han venido por ella.Tell Sofia her friends have come to pick her up.
b. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
¿Vino el mensajero a por el contrato?Has the messenger been to pick up the contract?
Venimos a por el perro.We're here to collect the dog.
An auxiliary verb, or helper verb, is a conjugated verb that comes before a main verb and determines the main verb's tense, mood, or aspect (e.g., I have gone.).
venirse
A reflexive verb is a verb that indicates that the subject performs an action on itself (e.g., Miguel se lava.).
a. to come
Se vino una tormenta mientras nadábamos en la playa.A storm came upon us when we were swimming at the beach.
El perro se vino sin ser llamado.The dog came without being called.
17. (to return)
18. (colloquial) (sexual)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. to come (colloquial)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Se vino en tan solo unos minutos.She came in just a few minutes.
llegar a(
yeh
-
gahr
ah
)A transitive verb phrase is a phrase that combines a verb with a preposition or other particle and requires a direct object (e.g., take out the trash.).
a. to get to
A este paso, vamos a llegar a la casa de Mauricio a la medianoche.At this pace, we're going to get to Mauricio's house at midnight.
b. to arrive at
Nuestro vuelo llegó al aeropuerto de Helsinki a las 2 pm.Our flight arrived at the Helsinki airport at 2 pm.
c. to arrive in
El "Concorde" fue el último barco en llegar a Rotterdam antes de que cerraran el puerto.The "Concorde" was the last ship to arrive in Rotterdam before they closed down the port.
d. to arrive to
Paremos en la tienda a comprar una botella de vino. No quiero llegar a la fiesta con las manos vacías.Let's stop at the convenience store to buy a bottle of wine. I don't want to arrive to the party empty-handed.
b. to make it to
No solo quiero llegar a los 80, si no que quiero llegar en buena salud.I not only want to make it to 80, but I want to make it in good health.
c. to come to
Tras interrogar al sospechoso por horas, ambos detectives llegaron a la misma conclusión: el tipo era inocente.After interrogating the suspect for hours, both detectives arrived to the same conclusion; the guy was innocent.
a. to reach
La llave cayó en ese hoyo y no puedo llegar a ella.The key fell into that hole and I can't reach it.
b. to come up to
Estábamos en un pantano, y el lodo nos llegaba a las rodillas.We were in a swamp, and the mud came up to our knees.
c. to touch
Los pantalones de tu traje no deberían tocar el piso.The pants of your suit shouldn't touch the floor.
a. to come to
¿Crees que Julio y Mariana terminen? - No. No creo que llegue a eso.Do you think Julio and Mariana will break up? - No. I don't think it will come to that.
b. to reach
Se proyecta que el próximo año la deuda nacional llegará a un trillón de dólares.The national debt is projected to reach one trillion dollars next year.
c. to be
Dependiendo del seguro que tenga, una cirugía de rodilla puede llegar a ser muy costosa.Depending on the insurance you have, a knee surgery can be very costly.
