Chegar em vs. Chegar a: Talk About Arriving in Brazil — Practice

Recognize chegar a in careful or formal Portuguese

Traditional grammar commonly pairs chegar with a when a destination follows: chegar ao aeroporto, chegar à cidade. The contraction depends on the article: a + o becomes ao, and a + a becomes à. You will often see this pattern in edited prose and formal contexts.

The destination helps you choose the contraction. A place name that normally takes no article may use just a: chegar a Brasília. With Rio de Janeiro, which commonly takes an article, speakers say chegar ao Rio de Janeiro.

Expect chegar em in everyday Brazilian speech

In Brazil, chegar em is extremely common in conversation: cheguei em casa, chegamos no hotel. It is natural to hear across the country. Some formal style guides prefer chegar a, so choose a or em with your audience and register in mind rather than treating everyday speakers as incorrect.

When you mean ‘arrive home,’ Brazilian Portuguese normally says chegar em casa, without an article before casa. In other casual phrases, contractions such as no hotel and na recepção are common.

Remember: Use chegar a in careful writing if you are following traditional formal guidance. In everyday Brazilian conversation, chegar em is widespread and natural; listen for both.

Check your understanding

Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.

Recall the Portuguese, then say it

Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.

1. We arrived at the airport before noon.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Chegamos ao aeroporto antes do meio-dia.

2. She arrived at the metro station.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Ela chegou à estação de metrô.

3. The flight arrives in Brasília at ten.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   O voo chega a Brasília às dez.

4. I got home and sent a message.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Cheguei em casa e mandei uma mensagem.

5. We got to the restaurant early.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   A gente chegou no restaurante cedo.

6. Have you arrived at the beach yet?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Você já chegou na praia?

Make the phrase useful to you

Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.

Use chegar a in careful writing if you are following traditional formal guidance. In everyday Brazilian conversation, chegar em is widespread and natural; listen for both.

Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.

Sources and your next lesson

This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our Chegar em vs. Chegar a: Talk About Arriving in Brazil lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.

To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.