Portuguese · Everyday Verbs
"to arrive" in Portuguese: chegar
chegar
To arrive in Portuguese is chegar. Say eu chego and você chega for present, and cheguei for I arrived. Chegar em / a marks the place.
Ride share
Eu chego aí em quinze minutos.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce chegar
Say it
sheh-GAHR / SHEH-goo / sheh-GAY
/ʃe.ˈɡaʁ/
sheh-GAHR. Eu chego is SHEH-goo; cheguei is sheh-GAY.
"to arrive" in Portuguese: quick reference
| Portuguese | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| chegar | to arrive Dictionary form. | Dictionary form. |
| eu chego | I arrive Present. | Present. |
| cheguei | I arrived Past. | Past. |
| acabou de chegar | just arrived Recent arrival. | Recent arrival. |
How to use chegar in real life
- 1Ride share
Eu chego aí em quinze minutos.
I arrive there in fifteen minutes.
ETA.
- 2Airport text
Cheguei no desembarque, me espera?
I arrived at arrivals, can you wait for me?
Past cheguei.
- 3Dinner host
Quando os convidados chegam, a mesa já está pronta.
When the guests arrive, the table is already set.
They arrive.
Mistakes English speakers make with chegar
Incorrect: Eu chegar agora.
Correct: Eu chego agora. / Acabei de chegar.
Conjugate chegar; don’t leave the infinitive as the main verb.
Incorrect: Eu arribei em casa. (meaning arrived)
Correct: Eu cheguei em casa.
Everyday arrive is chegar.
Good to know
Brazilians text cheguei! when they land at the door. Chegar atrasado is arrive late; chegar cedo is early. For flights you also hear pousar for the plane landing.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Meeting at a mall
ChatPal
Você já chegou na praça de alimentação?
Have you already arrived at the food court?
You
Ainda não. Eu chego em cinco minutos.
Not yet. I arrive in five minutes.
ChatPal
Beleza. Eu cheguei e peguei uma mesa.
Cool. I arrived and grabbed a table.
You
Perfeito. Já estou subindo a escada.
Perfect. I’m already going up the stairs.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to arrive" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to arrive" in Portuguese
I arrive?
Eu chego.
I arrived?
Eu cheguei.
Just arrived?
Acabei de chegar / Acabo de chegar.
Arrive at home?
Chegar em casa.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
