Breakdown of La entrega llegó justo a tiempo.
llegar
to arrive
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.
How do I avoid mixing up llegó and llego?
The accent changes both pronunciation and meaning:
- llego (present, “I arrive”): YE-go (stress on the first syllable)
- llegó (preterite, “he/she/it arrived”): ye-GÓ (stress on the last syllable) Always write the accent in llegó.
Can I put the subject after the verb: Llegó la entrega justo a tiempo?
Yes. Llegó la entrega justo a tiempo is natural and often used to introduce new information. La entrega llegó… is equally correct. You can also hear Llegó justo a tiempo la entrega, which is grammatical but less common.
What does justo add compared with just a tiempo?
A tiempo means “on time.” Justo a tiempo adds the nuance “just in time,” implying it barely made it before the deadline or the limit.
Is en tiempo or al tiempo ever correct here?
Use a tiempo in this expression. En tiempo is uncommon in Spain for this meaning (you’d more likely hear en plazo = “within the deadline”), and al tiempo is not used here.
Are there more informal ways to say “just in time”?
Yes:
- Por los pelos. (by the skin of one’s teeth)
- En el último minuto.
- A última hora. (very last-minute; often implies a rush)
Can I say exactamente a tiempo or en punto?
Exactamente a tiempo is understandable but less idiomatic than justo a tiempo. En punto is only for exact clock times: Llegó a las dos en punto (“arrived at 2 o’clock on the dot”).
Could I use venir instead of llegar with deliveries?
Stick with llegar for shipments: La entrega/El paquete llegó… In everyday speech you might hear vino el pedido, but llegar is the neutral, standard choice, especially for inanimate subjects like parcels.
Why is there no article in a tiempo?
A tiempo is a fixed adverbial phrase (“on time”). Spanish forms many adverbial phrases with a + noun without an article: a tiempo, a veces, a mano.
Does justo agree in gender/number here?
No. Here justo is an adverb modifying the phrase a tiempo, so it’s invariable: always justo. As an adjective, it does agree: una decisión justa, precios justos.
How do I say “arrived in time to do X”?
Use a tiempo para + infinitive (very common) or a tiempo de + infinitive:
- La entrega llegó a tiempo para empezar la instalación.
- Llegó a tiempo de evitar la multa.
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