llego
/ʝeɡo/from spelling rules
llego is the Spanish word for "I arrive".
Which one should you use?
The absence of an accent on the final 'o' distinguishes the first-person present llego (I arrive) from the third-person past llegó (he/she/it arrived).
How does it change in a sentence?
Note that the third-person singular past tense form is spelled with an accent on the last syllable: llegó.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʝeɡo/
Did you know?
- While it means 'I arrive', if you are running late and hear someone shout ¡Ya llego!, they are actually telling you 'I am almost there' or 'I am on my way'.
- The Spanish language uses the verb llegar to describe things that 'fit' or 'reach' a certain height, such as saying a shelf does not llega to the ceiling.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, the verb llegar is used to express reaching a specific age, whereas English requires the verb 'to turn'. For instance, you would say llegué a los treinta to mean 'I turned thirty'.
Examples in context
- He llegadoI have arrived
- Acabo de llegarI just arrived
- LleguéI arrived
- Llego a casa a las seis de la tardeI arrive home at six in the evening
- He llegado antes de tiempoI have arrived early
- Siempre llego tarde al trabajo.I always arrive late to work.
- Llego a casa a las seis.I arrive home at six.
Example conversation
Elena is calling Mateo to check his arrival time.
- Elena¿A qué hora llegas?What time do you arrive?
- MateoLlego en diez minutos.I arrive in ten minutes.
- ElenaPerfecto, yo también llego pronto.Perfect, I also arrive soon.
- MateoNos vemos en la entrada.I'll see you at the entrance.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
