venir
/beˈniɾ/
The English verb come is translated as venir in Spanish.
venir is used to express the action of arriving or appearing. Spanish specifically uses venir when the movement is toward the speaker.
Meaning: to arrive, to appear (verb)
Which one should you use?
While venir describes moving toward the speaker, the Spanish language uses ir to describe moving away from the speaker.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, you can use the informal entra to invite someone to come into a place. In some Latin American countries, particularly Mexico, adelante can be used to mean come in.
How does it change in a sentence?
The first-person singular present indicative form is vengo (I come). The second-person singular present indicative form is vienes (you come). The third-person singular preterite form is vino (he/she/it came).
How do you pronounce it?
/beˈniɾ/
Did you know?
- Spanish uses venir in the phrase me viene bien, which translates to 'it suits me' or 'that works for me' regarding a time or plan.
- The Latin ancestor veniō is also the source of the English word 'venue', which refers to a place where people 'come' to meet.
- The Spanish word vino can mean both 'he/she came' and 'wine', depending on whether it is used as a verb or a noun.
Examples in context
- No la vio venir.I didn't see her come.This sentence shows how to use venir to describe seeing someone arrive.Tatoeba #8326787 by arh, translation #8391497 by helloroto
- Yo lo haré venir.I will have him come.This sentence shows how to use venir to indicate causing someone to come.Tatoeba #1253633 by marcelostockle, translation #285192 by CK
- Deja venir a Tom.Let Tom come.This sentence shows how to use venir in a permissive context.Tatoeba #2625312 by Shishir, translation #2235850 by CK
- Venga, por favor. Estamos muy contentos de tenerlo aquí.Come, please. We are very happy to have you here.
- ¡Pase, por favor! Hablemos de su propuesta de negocios.Come in, please! Let's discuss your business proposal.
- ¡Ven a mi casa esta tarde!Come to my house this afternoon!
- ¡Pasa, estás en tu casa! Vamos a ver una película juntos.Come in, make yourself at home! Let's watch a movie together.
- 414 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are waiting for a friend at a cafe.
- Lucía¿Cuándo va a venir tu hermano?When is your brother going to come?
- DanielÉl dice que va a venir pronto.He says he is going to come soon.
- LucíaEspero que ya pueda venir.I hope he can come already.
- DanielMira, ya lo veo venir.Look, I see him coming now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry venir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries venir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
