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Prepositions after verbs

Arrive at vs arrive in

Use arrive at for specific points and buildings. Use arrive in for cities, countries, and large areas.

Quick answer

At or in after arrive?

Arrive at is used for precise locations such as stations or airports. Arrive in is used for cities, countries, and regions.

We arrived at the station.
They arrived in Tokyo yesterday.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
arrive at + building/place

Specific destinations

Use at for points and smaller locations.

She arrived at the hotel late.
2
arrive in + city/country

Large areas

Use in for cities, countries, and regions.

He arrived in Brazil last week.
3
arrive on + date/day

Time expressions

On is used with days and dates.

The package arrived on Monday.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
arrive at
We arrived at the airport.
reach a specific place
arrive in
They arrived in Canada.
reach a city, country, or region
arrive on
The train arrived on time.
time expression, not destination

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using arrive in with small places

Use at for buildings and precise points.

✕ We arrived in the station. ✓ We arrived at the station.

Using arrive at with countries

Use in for countries and cities.

✕ She arrived at France. ✓ She arrived in France.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. They arrived ___ Rome in the evening.
2. We arrived ___ the conference centre early.
3. The parcel arrived ___ Friday.

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Frequently asked questions

Do we say arrive at home?

Usually no. English normally uses arrive home without a preposition.

Why do we say arrive in London?

Because London is a city, and arrive in is used for larger areas.

Can arrive at refer to events?

Yes. For example: 'We arrived at the meeting late.'

abandon, by, abandon, in "abduct by", "abduct in" or "abduct from"? abide by, in, with, to or on? "abolish in" or "abolish by"? "abound in" or "abound with"? "absorb by", "absorb into" or "absorb in"? "accelerate by", "accelerate to" or "accelerate in"? accentuate by, with, in or under? accept by, in, as, for or into? "accommodate in", "accommodate for" or "accommodate to"? "accomplish by" or "accomplish in"? "accord to" or "accord with"?

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