La entrega llegó justo a tiempo.

to arrive

Breakdown of La entrega llegó justo a tiempo.

• justo: just
• la entrega: the delivery
• a tiempo: in time

Questions & Answers about La entrega llegó justo a tiempo.

What exactly does the noun entrega refer to here?

In Spain, entrega usually means the act or event of delivering (a scheduled delivery). It can also mean a submission, as in handing in an assignment (la entrega del trabajo). Context tells you whether it’s about a parcel or a submission.

Why is it la entrega and not el entrega?

Because entrega is a feminine noun. It always takes feminine determiners: la entrega, una entrega, esta entrega.

Could I use another noun instead of entrega for a parcel?

Yes, depending on what you want to emphasize:

• el pedido = the order you placed
• el paquete = the package/parcel
• el envío = the shipment
• el reparto = the delivery round/service (less the individual parcel) Example: El paquete llegó justo a tiempo.

Why is llegó (preterite) used instead of ha llegado (present perfect)? Is there a Spain-specific preference?

Both are possible, but in Spain the present perfect is very common for events that happened “today” or in a still-open time frame:

• La entrega ha llegado justo a tiempo (hoy/esta mañana). Use the preterite llegó for a completed, closed time frame (yesterday, last week, a narrative past):
• La entrega llegó justo a tiempo ayer. Without a time marker, llegó simply narrates a finished past event; ha llegado feels a bit more connected to the present.