German · Everyday Verbs

"to arrive" in German: ankommen

ankommen

Say it: AN-kom-enverb/ˈanˌkɔmən/

To arrive in German is ankommen. Say Ich komme um acht an or Wann kommt der Zug an?. Past participle is angekommen with sein: Ich bin angekommen.

Flight tracking

Wann kommt deine Maschine an?
When does your plane arrive?
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How to pronounce ankommen

Say it

AN-kom-en

/ˈanˌkɔmən/

AN-kom-en. Stress on AN. Soft o in kommen.

"to arrive" in German: quick reference

GermanEnglish
ankommento arrive

Core verb for arriving.

ich komme an / du kommst anI/you arrive

Split present forms.

angekommenarrived

Past participle with sein.

Wann kommst du an?When do you arrive?

Classic question.

How to use ankommen in real life

  1. 1Flight tracking

    Wann kommt deine Maschine an?

    When does your plane arrive?

    Kommt … an with the particle an.

  2. 2Texting

    Ich komme gegen Abend an.

    I'll arrive toward evening.

    Ich komme … an.

  3. 3Just landed

    Endlich sind wir angekommen!

    Finally we've arrived!

    Angekommen with sein.

Mistakes English speakers make with ankommen

Incorrect: Ich ankomme morgen.

Correct: Ich komme morgen an.

Split in present: kommen + an at the end.

Incorrect: Ich habe angekommen.

Correct: Ich bin angekommen.

Ankommen takes sein in the perfect.

Good to know

Germans often ask for a concrete arrival time for pickups. Ankunft is the noun on station boards. A quick Bin angekommen text is polite when someone is waiting.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Coordinating a station pickup

  1. ChatPal

    Kommst du pünktlich um sechs an?

    Will you arrive on time at six?

  2. You

    Ja, ich komme um 18:05 an.

    Yes, I arrive at 6:05 p.m.

  3. ChatPal

    Super, ich warte am Ausgang.

    Great, I'll wait at the exit.

  4. You

    Danke. Sobald ich angekommen bin, schreibe ich.

    Thanks. As soon as I've arrived, I'll text.

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"to arrive" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "to arrive" in German

How do you conjugate ankommen?

Ich komme an, du kommst an; past participle angekommen.

Where does an go?

At the end in simple present: Ich komme an.

Have arrived?

Ich bin angekommen.

Noun for arrival?

Die Ankunft.

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