Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| llegar a tierra | /ʝeɡaɾ a tjera/ (from spelling rules) |
| alcanzar tierra | /alkanθaɾ tjera/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /alkansaɾ tjera/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
| aterrar | /ateˈraɾ/ |
| recalar | /rekaˈlaɾ/ |
| arribar | /ariˈbaɾ/ |
When describing a storm reaching land, the standard expression is llegar a tierra. You may also see arribar used to describe a vessel or a weather system reaching a destination or land.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase llegar a tierra is composed of the verb llegar (to arrive), the preposition a (to) and the noun tierra (land/earth).
Which one should you use?
While llegar a tierra is the standard way to say 'make landfall', alcanzar tierra is a more formal alternative often used in technical meteorological reports. Additionally, the formal verb arribar can be used to describe a vessel or weather system reaching land.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using aterrar to mean 'to make landfall' in a meteorological context. This is a common false friend that primarily means 'to terrify' or 'to strike the ground' in a different sense.
Did you know?
Examples in context
- La tormenta va a llegar a tierra esta noche.The storm is going to make landfall tonight.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “make landfall” translations and entries aterrar, recalar, arribar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, alcanzar, aterrar, llegar, tierra, CC BY-SA 4.0.
