Confused Words: Arrive In vs. Arrive At

Hi budding language learners! Our adventure in English today will take us to two often mixed-up expressions: “arrive in” and “arrive at“. Buckle up and let’s get going!

Arrive In

We use “arrive in” (IPA: /əˈraɪv ɪn/) when we’re talking about coming to a city, a country, or any large, general area.

Examples:

1. We will arrive in Paris tomorrow. (We will get to Paris tomorrow)
2. They arrived in Canada last month. (They got to Canada last month)
3. She arrived in the city late at night. (She got to the city late at night)
4. I arrived in the United States yesterday. (I got to the United States yesterday)
5. The train arrives in Moscow at 8 p.m. (The train gets to Moscow at 8 p.m)
6. He arrived in Spain last week for his vacation. (He got to Spain last week for his vacation)
7. They arrived in Australia this morning. (They got to Australia this morning)
8. She arrived in Japan just in time for the Cherry Blossom Festival. (She got to Japan just in time for the Cherry Blossom Festival)
9. We arrived in Africa for our research work. (We got to Africa for our research work)
10. He arrived in London for his studies. (He got to London for his studies)

Arrive At

On the other hand, we use “arrive at” (IPA: /əˈraɪv æt/) when we’re referring to coming to a specific, smaller location, like a building or an event.

Examples:

1. I will arrive at the station in fifteen minutes. (I will get to the station in fifteen minutes)
2. They arrived at the hotel late at night. (They got to the hotel late at night)
3. She arrives at work every day at 8 a.m. (She gets to work every day at 8 a.m)
4. We arrived at the concert just as it was starting. (We got to the concert just as it was starting)
5. The train arrives at the platform at 6 p.m. (The train gets to the platform at 6 p.m)
6. He arrived at the party fashionably late. (He got to the party fashionably late)
7. They arrived at the airport two hours before their flight. (They got to the airport two hours before their flight)
8. She arrived at the meeting on time. (She got to the meeting on time)
9. We arrived at the museum when it was closing. (We got to the museum when it was closing)
10. He arrived at the conference early to get a good seat. (He got to the conference early to get a good seat)

Conclusion

In a nutshell, “arrive in” is used for larger, more general locations like cities or countries, while “arrive at” is for smaller, specific places like buildings or events. Keep practicing and these will become second nature!