Arriver is undoubtedly the most common way to say “to arrive” in French. But as you continue your French learning journey, you’ll discover that there are many other nuances and alternatives to express this idea.

Whether you’re talking about a train pulling into a station, a package showing up at your door, or a new idea coming to mind, French offers a rich vocabulary to perfectly capture the moment of arrival.

Let’s explore 9 different ways to say “to arrive” in French, so you can expand your vocabulary and speak with more precision and flair!

The standard 'to arrive' – arriver

The standard "to arrive" – arriver

Arriver is the most common and versatile verb for "to arrive" in French.

A crucial point for learners is that arriver is conjugated with the auxiliary verb être in compound tenses (like passé composé). This means the past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject.

Its primary use is to describe the physical act of reaching a destination or coming to a place. This can be a person, a train, a package, etc.

While primarily meaning "to arrive," arriver has other important figurative meanings, such as "to happen" or "to manage/succeed."

Arriver can also mean "to happen" or "to occur," especially when talking about events or situations. It's often used impersonally with il (it).

When followed by the preposition à and an infinitive, arriver à means "to succeed in doing something" or "to manage to do something."

You'll frequently hear phrases like Ça arrive (It happens) or Arriver à ses fins (To achieve one's goals).

Arriver is suitable for both formal and informal contexts, making it a reliable choice for expressing "to arrive" in most situations.

Remember, when used with être in compound tenses, the past participle arrivé(e)(s) must agree with the subject. For example, Elle est arrivée (She arrived) vs. Ils sont arrivés (They arrived).

💡 *Je suis arrivé(e) à la gare à l'heure. (I arrived at the station on time.)
*Quand est-ce que le train arrive? (When does the train arrive?)
*Qu'est-ce qui est arrivé? (What happened?)
*Il n'arrive pas à comprendre la situation. (He can't manage to understand the situation.)
*Nous sommes arrivés en France la semaine dernière. (We arrived in France last week.)

1. To reach a destination or goal – atteindre

To reach a destination or goal – atteindre

Atteindre is a fundamental French verb that translates to "to reach" in English. It's highly versatile, used for both physical arrival at a location and the achievement of abstract goals or objectives.

When referring to a physical destination, atteindre signifies arriving at a specific point or place. For instance, you would use it to talk about reaching the top of a mountain or a particular city.

Beyond physical locations, atteindre is crucial for expressing the accomplishment of goals, targets, or a certain level. This includes reaching a specific age, achieving success, or meeting an objective.

Atteindre is an irregular verb belonging to the -RE group, conjugated similarly to verbs like peindre or craindre. It's important to learn its specific conjugations to use it correctly in various tenses.

A key characteristic of atteindre is that it is a direct transitive verb. This means it always takes a direct object without the need for a preposition (like 'à' or 'de') to connect it to the thing being reached. For example, atteindre le sommet (reach the summit), not atteindre au sommet.

💡 * Il a atteint le sommet de la montagne. (He reached the summit of the mountain.)

• Nous voulons atteindre nos objectifs cette année. (We want to reach our goals this year.)
• Elle a atteint l'âge de la majorité. (She reached the age of majority.)
• Le bruit a atteint mes oreilles. (The noise reached my ears.)
• Le coureur a atteint la ligne d'arrivée. (The runner reached the finish line.)

To reach a place, often with effort or difficulty – parvenir

The French verb parvenir (to reach, to arrive at) carries a nuance of effort, difficulty, or a process involved in getting to a specific place or achieving a goal. It's more than just a simple arrival; it implies succeeding in reaching something.

When parvenir refers to reaching a physical location, it is almost always followed by the preposition à (to/at). For example, parvenir à la gare means 'to reach the station'.

Similar to many other verbs of movement or change of state in French, parvenir is conjugated with the auxiliary verb être in compound tenses. For instance, you would say je suis parvenu(e) (I reached) or nous sommes parvenus (we reached).

The core meaning of parvenir often highlights the act of 'succeeding in reaching' or 'managing to get to' a destination or outcome. This distinguishes it from simpler verbs like arriver (to arrive), emphasizing the journey or the obstacles overcome.

Beyond physical locations, parvenir is frequently used figuratively to mean 'to succeed in doing something' or 'to achieve a goal,' still implying a degree of effort. In this context, it's followed by à + an infinitive verb (e.g., parvenir à faire quelque chose - to succeed in doing something).

💡 * Nous sommes parvenus au sommet de la montagne après des heures d'escalade. (We reached the mountain summit after hours of climbing.)

• Le message n'est pas parvenu à son destinataire. (The message did not reach its recipient.)
• Elle est parvenue à ses fins après beaucoup de travail. (She achieved her goals after a lot of work.)
• Comment avez-vous pu parvenir à un tel résultat ? (How were you able to achieve such a result?)

To disembark or land, often unexpectedly – débarquer

The verb débarquer primarily means "to disembark" or "to land," often used when speaking about passengers leaving a ship, plane, or train.

Beyond a simple arrival, débarquer carries a connotation of arriving suddenly, unexpectedly, or even intrusively, similar to "to show up out of nowhere" in English.

It's frequently used in informal contexts to describe someone arriving at a place where they weren't necessarily expected, or someone arriving in a new, unfamiliar environment.

Figuratively, débarquer can also mean "to be completely new to a situation or topic," implying a lack of prior knowledge or understanding, often used humorously or critically.

💡 * Nous avons débarqué à Marseille ce matin. (We disembarked in Marseille this morning.)

• Il a débarqué chez moi sans prévenir. (He showed up at my place without warning.)
• Le nouveau stagiaire a débarqué sans aucune expérience. (The new intern arrived with no experience.)
• Quand ils ont débarqué dans la ville, ils étaient perdus. (When they landed in the city, they were lost.)
• Tu débarques ou quoi ? On en a déjà parlé ! (Are you just getting here? We already talked about it!)

To go to or proceed to a location – se rendre à

To go to or proceed to a location – se rendre à

Se rendre à literally translates to 'to render oneself to' or 'to make one's way to,' and it's used to express the action of going to a specific place or destination.

This verb carries a more formal and official tone than simply aller (to go). It often implies a deliberate journey or a scheduled arrival, frequently used in administrative, journalistic, or polite contexts.

You'll frequently encounter se rendre à when speaking about traveling to an event, a meeting, a specific address, or even a country. It emphasizes the act of reaching a particular point.

As a reflexive verb, se rendre à requires the appropriate reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) before the verb. For example, je me rends, tu te rends, il/elle/on se rend, etc.

While aller is a general 'to go,' se rendre à suggests a more purposeful or formal journey. Think of it as 'proceeding to' rather than just 'going to.'

💡 *Il se rend à Paris pour une conférence. (He is going to Paris for a conference.)
*Nous devons nous rendre à l'aéroport avant 10h. (We must get to the airport before 10 AM.)
*Les étudiants se sont rendus à la bibliothèque pour étudier. (The students went to the library to study.)
*Je me rends souvent à mon bureau en vélo. (I often go to my office by bike.)
*Veuillez vous rendre au guichet numéro trois. (Please proceed to counter number three.)

To access or reach a place/position – accéder

The verb accéder in French primarily means “to access,” “to reach,” or “to gain entry to” a place or a position. It implies a successful act of reaching a destination or obtaining permission to enter.

Most commonly, accéder is used when talking about physically reaching a location, like a building or a room, or digitally accessing a resource, such as a website, a document, or a database. Think of it as the direct equivalent of “to access” in English for these contexts.

A crucial point for learners is that accéder is almost always followed by the preposition à (or its contractions au, aux). So, you accéder à quelque chose (access something), not just accéder quelque chose. For example, accéder à la porte (to access the door) or accéder au site web (to access the website).

Beyond literal access, accéder can also be used figuratively to mean “to reach” or “to attain” a certain status, position, or level of understanding. For instance, one might accéder à un poste de direction (to reach a management position) or accéder à la célébrité (to attain fame).

This verb is quite versatile, covering both tangible and intangible achievements. It emphasizes the act of successfully gaining entry or achieving a desired state, making it a key verb for expressing progress or obtaining privileges.

💡 *Il est difficile d'accéder à ce village en hiver. (It's difficult to access this village in winter.)
*J'ai besoin d'un mot de passe pour accéder à mon compte. (I need a password to access my account.)
*Elle a réussi à accéder à un poste important. (She managed to reach an important position.)
*Nous avons finalement pu accéder au sommet de la montagne. (We were finally able to reach the top of the mountain.)
*Comment puis-je accéder à ces informations confidentielles ? (How can I access this confidential information?)

To meet up with or rejoin someone/a group – rejoindre

The verb rejoindre is a highly versatile French verb that translates most commonly to 'to meet up with,' 'to rejoin,' or 'to join.'

Whether you're planning to meet friends for coffee, rejoining your family after a trip, or catching up with a group for an activity, rejoindre is the go-to verb. It implies an act of coming together with someone or a group at a specific location or time.

As a direct transitive verb, rejoindre takes a direct object, meaning you directly 'rejoin someone' or 'rejoin a group.' It's an irregular verb, conjugated similarly to joindre.

💡 * Je vais rejoindre mes amis au café. (I'm going to meet my friends at the cafe.)

• Elle a rejoint son équipe après les vacances. (She rejoined her team after the holidays.)
• Pourriez-vous me rejoindre à la gare ? (Could you meet me at the station?)
• Nous les rejoindrons plus tard. (We will join them later.)
• Il a décidé de rejoindre l'association. (He decided to join the association.)

To approach or land (especially for ships) – aborder

The verb aborder primarily means 'to approach' or 'to land,' especially in a nautical context for ships docking or reaching a shore. It signifies the act of making contact with a port, coast, or another vessel.

Beyond its literal maritime sense, aborder is widely used figuratively to mean 'to approach a subject,' 'to tackle a problem,' or 'to address a question.' It implies initiating engagement with a concept or issue.

In a social context, aborder can also mean 'to approach someone' to speak to them, often implying a direct or initial contact. This usage is common when starting a conversation or making an acquaintance.

💡 * Le navire a abordé le quai sans difficulté. (The ship approached the dock without difficulty.)

• Comment aborder ce sujet délicat? (How to approach this delicate subject?)
• Il a abordé la jeune femme dans la rue. (He approached the young woman in the street.)
• Nous devons aborder la question de la sécurité au plus vite. (We must address the issue of security as soon as possible.)

1. To make a formal or prominent entrance – faire son entrée

The French expression faire son entrée literally translates to 'to make one's entrance.' However, it carries a more specific nuance than simply entrer (to enter). It implies an arrival that is formal, prominent, or noteworthy, often attracting attention.

Unlike a casual entry, faire son entrée suggests a certain gravitas or spectacle. It's used when someone or something arrives in a way that is significant, expected, or demands recognition. Think of a celebrity stepping onto a red carpet, a dignitary arriving at an event, or a new product hitting the market with much fanfare.

This phrase isn't exclusively for people. It can also describe the impactful arrival of an event, a concept, or even a season. For example, you might say a new fashion collection fait son entrée or that spring fait son entrée when it officially begins.

In terms of grammar, faire is the verb that will be conjugated according to the subject and tense, while son entrée remains the fixed direct object. Remember to adjust the possessive adjective (mon, ton, son, notre, votre, leur) to match the subject if it's not 'son' (his/her/its).

💡 *La reine a fait son entrée dans la salle de bal sous les applaudissements. (The queen made her entrance into the ballroom to applause.)
*Le nouveau modèle de voiture fait son entrée sur le marché ce mois-ci. (The new car model is making its debut on the market this month.)
*L'artiste a fait une entrée spectaculaire sur scène. (The artist made a spectacular entrance on stage.)
*Avec les premiers flocons, l'hiver fait son entrée. (With the first snowflakes, winter is making its entrance.)
*Le héros a fait son entrée à la fin du film pour sauver la situation. (The hero made his entrance at the end of the film to save the day.)

Are there other ways to say 'to arrive' in French?

Are there other ways to say 'to arrive' in French?

Our list has covered the most common and essential verbs for 'to arrive' in French. However, the French language is rich with nuances, and there are indeed other expressions and verbs that convey a similar meaning, often with subtle differences in context, formality, or connotation.

To explore further, you can search online for phrases like 'synonymes de arriver' or 'autres verbes pour arriver en français'. You might also look into regional French variations, as some areas may use specific expressions.

While exploring, always remember to verify the exact meaning and usage of any new verb or expression. Context is key, and a dictionary or a native speaker can help clarify when and how to use these alternatives appropriately.

As you immerse yourself in French media — books, films, podcasts, or conversations — pay close attention to how native speakers express the idea of 'arriving'. You'll naturally pick up on more nuanced ways to convey this action.

For a comprehensive list of synonyms and related expressions, the WordReference entry for arriver is an excellent starting point. It provides examples and differentiates between various shades of meaning.

I hope this article has helped clarify the different ways to say 'to arrive' in French. Mastering these verbs will significantly enhance your communication. Remember, as the saying goes: Toute arrivée est un nouveau départ. (Every arrival is a new beginning.)