Arriver Expressions

French expressions with arriver
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French Phrases Have Arrived

The French verb arriver, “to arrive,” is found in many idiomatic expressions, including to get one’s way, to be completely irrelevant, and to get into trouble. Learn these and dozens of other French expressions featuring arriver.

Arriver translations

  • to arrive
  • to be on one’s way
  • to happen
  • to manage to
  • to reach

Arriver expressions

arriver à to reach, get to, attain, arrive at
arriver à + infinitive   to manage to / succeed in doing something
arriver à + time   to arrive at
arriver à + city or masculine country   to arrive in, get to
arriver à bon port to arrive safe and sound
arriver à destination to reach/arrive at one’s destination
arriver à grands pas to stride/walk quickly up
arriver à ses fins to get one’s way, achieve one’s goals
arriver au port to dock
  (figurative)   to reach one’s destination
arriver au pouvoir to come to power
arriver comme mars en carême to come/happen as sure as night follows day
arriver comme un cheveu sur la soupe to turn up at a very awkward moment, to be completely irrelevant
arriver comme un chien dans un jeu de quilles to turn up at the worst possible moment, when least wanted/needed
arriver de + city or country   to arrive from
arriver des ennuis à quelqu’un to get into trouble
arriver en + feminine country   to arrive in, get to
arriver en courant to run up
arriver en gare to arrive at the train station
arriver en voiture to arrive by car
arriver jusqu’à to reach, get as far as, come/go up to
arriver le premier to arrive/come in first
arriver par le train to arrive by train
     
Allez, arrive ! (informal)   Hurry up! Come on!
Les Anglais sont arrivés (familiar)   Someone is menstruating
Ça m’arrive. That happens to me at times.
Ce sont des choses qui arrivent. These things happen.
Cela peut arriver à n’importe qui. That could happen to anyone.
Cela ne m’arrivera plus ! That will never happen again!
comme il arrive souvent as is often the case, as often happens
croire que c’est arrivé (informal)   to think one has made it / succeeded
en arriver à to end up, come to
faire arriver to make something/something happen, show up
Il arrive que + subjunctive   to sometimes happen
Il est arrivé un accident / un malheur. There’s been an accident / calamity.
Il faudra bien en arriver là. It’ll come to that eventually.
Il m’arrive de + infinitive   I sometimes …
J’arrive ! I’m coming! I’ll be right back!
Je n’y arrive pas I can’t do it.
J’y arrive I’m coming/getting to that
ne pas arriver à + infinitive to just not be able to
ne pas arriver à la cheville à quelqu’un to not be able to hold a candle to
Le nouveau est arrivé It’s Beaujolais Nouveau Day
On arrive ! We’re (almost) there!
On en arrive à se demander si… It makes you wonder if…
On n’en est pas encore arrivé là ! We haven’t gotten that far yet! It hasn’t come to that yet!
quoi qu’il arrive whatever happens
se croire arrivé to think one has made it / succeeded
Tu ne sais pas ce qui m’arrive ! You’ll never guess what happened to me!
Tu y arrives ? How are you doing?
     
une arrivée arrival, coming, appearance
  (utilities)   inlet, inflow
arrivées (airport)   Arrivals
à l’arrivée at the finish, in the end
les premiers arrivés first arrivals

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French expressions with arriver

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