приезжать vs приехать
priyezzhát' vs priyékhat' — arrive by transport regularly vs arrive once
Register: neutral
What it really means
Приезжать describes arrivals by transport as a habit, repeated event, or process. Приехать is perfective: it marks reaching the destination on one completed trip.
Examples in natural speech
Он приезжает к нам каждое лето.
He comes to visit us every summer.
Поезд приехал вовремя.
The train arrived on time.
Я часто приезжаю сюда по работе.
I often come here for work.
Когда ты приедешь?
When will you arrive?
Гости приезжали по очереди.
The guests arrived one by one.
Common mistakes
Do not use приехать for a habitual visit: *он приехает к нам каждое лето treats each summer as one isolated arrival. Приехать answers whether someone has reached the destination on this trip; приезжать describes the pattern or approach.
Memory tip
Imagine the vehicle at the destination gate: приехать is the single arrival; приезжать is the route travelled again on different occasions.
Frequently asked questions
Does «приехать» require a vehicle to be named?
No. The verb itself implies travel by transport, but the train, car, or bus need not be stated: Я приехал поздно.
What case follows «приезжать к кому-то»?
Use к + dative for a person: приехать к друзьям, приезжать к бабушке. For a place, use в + accusative: приехать в Казань.
Why is «гости приезжали по очереди» imperfective?
It presents several arrivals as a sequence or process. If the completed result matters, Гости приехали would say that they arrived.
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