ankommen
to arrive
To reach a destination.
EXAMPLE
Der Zug aus München wird pünktlich auf Gleis 5 ankommen.
The train from Munich will arrive on time at platform 5.
ankommen
to arrive
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Meanings
ankommen auf
to depend on
To depend on something; to be decisive.
EXAMPLE
Es kommt auf das Wetter an, ob wir morgen wandern gehen.
It depends on the weather whether we go hiking tomorrow.
ankommen
to come across
To be received or perceived by others in a certain way.
EXAMPLE
Sein Vorschlag kam bei den Kollegen sehr gut an.
His suggestion came across very well to his colleagues.
gegen jemanden/etwas ankommen
to stand a chance against
To be able to hold one's own against an opponent or difficulty, or to keep up.
EXAMPLE
Gegen die laute Musik von den Nachbarn kommt man einfach nicht an.
You simply can't stand a chance against the loud music from the neighbors.
Usage tips
Separable verb
'Ankommen' (to arrive) is a separable verb. The prefix 'an-' goes at the end of the main clause. In subordinate clauses and in the infinitive with 'zu', the verb stays together.
EXAMPLE
Mein Flug kommt um 18 Uhr in Berlin an.
My flight arrives in Berlin at 6 p.m.
Perfect tense with 'sein'
Since 'ankommen' (to arrive) describes movement toward a destination, the perfect tense is formed with the auxiliary verb 'sein' (to be), not with 'haben' (to have).
EXAMPLE
Bist du gut zu Hause angekommen?
Did you get home safely?
Fixed expression
In the meaning 'abhängen von' (to depend on), 'ankommen' is used in the fixed expression 'es kommt auf etwas an' (it depends on something). The object is always in the accusative.
EXAMPLE
Es kommt auf deine Entscheidung an.
It depends on your decision.
Sentence structure: how something comes across
When 'ankommen' means how something is received or comes across, an adverb is often used with it, such as 'gut' (well) or 'schlecht' (badly), and the group of people is expressed in the dative with the preposition 'bei'.
EXAMPLE
Der neue Film kam beim Publikum sehr gut an.
The new film came across very well with the audience.
Prepositions of place
To state the destination, you usually use 'in' + dative for cities and countries, or 'an' + dative for places like a train station, airport, or stop.
EXAMPLE
Wir sind gestern Abend in Hamburg angekommen.
We arrived in Hamburg yesterday evening.
Sentence structure: fighting against something
In this meaning, 'ankommen' is always used with the preposition 'gegen' + accusative. It often expresses that you have no chance.
EXAMPLE
Gegen seine laute Stimme komme ich einfach nicht an.
I simply can't stand a chance against his loud voice.
Compare with
erreichengefallengelangenlandeneingehenabhängeneintreffenmithalteneinschlagendurchkommenanlangenaufschlagenreinkommenhinkommenanreisenflatternzurechtkommeneinlaufeneinfindenrüberkommendaherkommen
ankommen vs erreichen
to reach
Erreichen and ankommen can both express arriving at a place. Ankommen focuses more strongly on the process of arriving and is used with a place phrase; erreichen emphasizes the successful endpoint and takes the place directly as its object. In the right context, both are idiomatic.
ankommen
Der Zug ist trotz der Verspätung noch in Berlin angekommen.
Despite the delay, the train still arrived in Berlin.
erreichen
Der Zug hat Berlin trotz der Verspätung noch erreicht.
Despite the delay, the train still reached Berlin.
In real life
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