When you're just starting out in Portuguese, like at the A1 level, verbs are super important. They tell you what's happening!
"Chegar" is a great example. It means "to arrive." Think about when you get home or when a friend shows up.
You'll use it all the time for everyday situations, like saying you arrived at work or that the bus is arriving.
Getting comfortable with verbs like "chegar" early on will help you build lots of simple, useful sentences.
The verb "chegar" means "to arrive." It's a common and very useful verb in Portuguese, but English speakers often make a few mistakes when using it. Let's look at the most frequent errors and how to avoid them.
§ Mistake 1: Using "em" or "a" with "chegar" for "arrive at/in"
In English, we say "arrive at" or "arrive in" to specify the destination. In Portuguese, "chegar" already implies "to arrive at/in." You don't need an extra preposition like "em" (in/at) or "a" (to) directly after "chegar" when talking about the destination. Instead, you use "em" or "a" before the destination itself, but not immediately following "chegar." This is a very common point of confusion.
- Incorrect
- Eu cheguei em casa tarde. (Literally: I arrived in home late.)
- Correct
- Eu cheguei tarde em casa. (I arrived late at home.)
Nós chegamos ao aeroporto cedo. (We arrived at the airport early.)
Quando você chega a Lisboa? (When do you arrive in Lisbon?)
§ Mistake 2: Confusing "chegar" with "vir" or "ir"
While "chegar" is about the act of arriving, "vir" means "to come" and "ir" means "to go." Sometimes learners use "chegar" when they should use one of the other verbs, especially when the context is more about movement towards a place rather than the culmination of that movement.
- Incorrect
- Vou chegar à sua festa. (Literally: I will arrive at your party, implying I'm already on my way or about to.)
- Correct
- Vou à sua festa. (I'm going to your party.)
Ele chegou em casa. (He arrived home.)
Ele vai a casa. (He is going home.)
§ Mistake 3: Forgetting to conjugate "chegar" correctly
"Chegar" is a regular verb, but like all verbs, it needs to be conjugated according to the subject and tense. New learners sometimes forget this and use the infinitive form or an incorrect conjugation.
- Present Tense:
Eu chego (I arrive)
Você/Ele/Ela chega (You/He/She arrives)
Nós chegamos (We arrive)
Vocês/Eles/Elas chegam (You all/They arrive)
- Past Tense (Pretérito Perfeito):
Eu cheguei (I arrived)
Você/Ele/Ela chegou (You/He/She arrived)
Nós chegamos (We arrived)
Vocês/Eles/Elas chegaram (You all/They arrived)
Ontem, eu cheguei tarde ao trabalho. (Yesterday, I arrived late at work.)
Eles sempre chegam na hora. (They always arrive on time.)
Niveau de difficulté
Common verb, simple spelling.
Regular -ar verb conjugation in present tense.
Clear pronunciation, no complex sounds.
Frequently used, easy to recognize.
Quoi apprendre ensuite
Prérequis
Apprends ensuite
Avancé
Exemples par niveau
Quando você vai chegar em casa?
When are you going to arrive home?
Using 'chegar em' for 'arrive at' or 'arrive in'.
Nós chegamos ao aeroporto a tempo.
We arrived at the airport on time.
Using 'chegar a' for 'arrive at' a specific location.
Espero que o trem chegue logo.
I hope the train arrives soon.
Subjunctive mood for 'hope that something arrives'.
Se você chegar cedo, pode escolher o melhor lugar.
If you arrive early, you can choose the best seat.
Conditional sentence with 'se' (if).
Eles chegaram de viagem cansados, mas felizes.
They arrived from their trip tired, but happy.
Using 'chegar de' to indicate origin of arrival.
Quando o pacote vai chegar?
When will the package arrive?
Simple future tense.
Ela chegou ao escritório antes de todo mundo.
She arrived at the office before everyone else.
Using 'chegar a' for 'arrive at' a specific place.
Precisamos chegar a uma decisão em breve.
We need to reach a decision soon.
Figurative use of 'chegar a' meaning 'to reach' a conclusion or decision.
Expressions idiomatiques
"Chegar a tempo"
To arrive on time
Eu preciso chegar a tempo para o meu voo. (I need to arrive on time for my flight.)
neutral"Chegar atrasado"
To arrive late
Desculpe, cheguei atrasado por causa do trânsito. (Sorry, I arrived late because of the traffic.)
neutral"Chegar cedo"
To arrive early
Nós gostamos de chegar cedo para pegar um bom lugar. (We like to arrive early to get a good spot.)
neutral"Chegar junto"
To work together / to get involved (informal)
Se queremos terminar o projeto, temos que chegar junto. (If we want to finish the project, we have to work together.)
informal"Chegar lá"
To get there / to succeed (informal)
Não é fácil, mas vamos chegar lá. (It's not easy, but we'll get there.)
informal"Chegar ao ponto"
To get to the point
Por favor, chegue ao ponto, não tenho muito tempo. (Please get to the point, I don't have much time.)
neutral"Chegar de mansinho"
To arrive stealthily / discreetly (informal)
Ele chegou de mansinho para não assustar o gato. (He arrived stealthily so as not to scare the cat.)
informal"Chegar a lugar nenhum"
To get nowhere
Essa discussão não vai chegar a lugar nenhum. (This discussion won't get anywhere.)
neutral"Chegar no final"
To reach the end / to finish
Estou ansioso para chegar no final deste livro. (I'm looking forward to reaching the end of this book.)
neutral"Chegar para somar"
To come to contribute / to add value (informal)
Ele é uma pessoa que sempre chega para somar à equipe. (He's a person who always comes to contribute to the team.)
informalContenu associé
Expressions liées
Plus de mots sur travel
a aterragem
A2The act of an aircraft descending to the ground; landing.
a conta, por favor
A2The bill, please.
a pé
A2on foot, walking
abarrotado
A2Filled to capacity; crowded or packed.
abastecer
A2To supply with something necessary, such as fuel.
abertura
A2Opening; the action of beginning or opening something.
acertado
A2Correct or accurate; well-chosen.
acessórios
A2Additional items, typically small, that complement something else.
acidente
A2An unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally, typically resulting in damage or injury.
acolá
A2In, at, or to that place; over there.
