arribam

Arribam is the third-person plural present indicative form of the verb arribar in Portuguese and Galician, meaning “they arrive” or “they reach.” It is used to describe the act of arriving at a destination and can apply to people, vehicles, or ships. In Brazilian Portuguese, arribam appears in formal writing, news reports, and nautical or ceremonial contexts; in European Portuguese, the more common everyday synonym is chegar, though arribam remains standard in certain registers and in maritime language.

Etymology and related forms: Arribam derives from the Romance verb arribar, which conveys the sense of reaching a destination. Cognates appear in related languages, such as Spanish arribar with the present form arriban. The verb shares its root with other arrival-related terms across Romance languages.

Usage notes: Arribam requires a plural subject, such as eles (they) or elas (they, feminine). The corresponding past tense is arribaram (they arrived). As with many language-specific forms, usage can vary by dialect and context; in some varieties, more common verbs like chegar may be preferred for everyday speech, while arribar and its forms persist in nautical, literary, or formal contexts.

See also: Arribar; Arrival; Arribo (Spanish).