arrive at

arrive at — phrasal verb

  • arrive atbase form
  • arrives at3rd person singular
  • arriving at-ing form
  • arrived atpast simple

1. to agree on a specific point, price, or set of terms after talking it through wi

1.片語動詞不及物B1
釋義

to agree on a specific point, price, or set of terms after talking it through with the other people involved

例句

The two companies finally arrived at a contract after three months of talks.

collocation: arrive at a contract / agreement

Lawyers hope to arrive at a settlement before the case goes to court.

collocation: arrive at a settlement

同義詞
  • reach

    more general; 'reach an agreement' is interchangeable, but 'arrive at' emphasises the deliberative process

  • come to

    slightly more informal; used in everyday speech ('come to an agreement')

  • work out

    focuses on the effort of resolving details ('work out a deal')

反義詞
  • disagree on

    opposite outcome; failure to find common ground

  • break down

    when negotiations fail without any agreement

文法句型

arrive at + [agreement / compromise / settlement / deal]

用法筆記

Object is typically an abstract noun involving an agreement or shared understanding (agreement, compromise, settlement, deal). The subject is usually a group (committee, parties, negotiators) or the group named as a collective (the two sides, both companies).

常見錯誤

The team arrived at the agreement yesterday after long talks.
The team arrived at an agreement yesterday after long talks.
💡Use the indefinite article 'a/an' or no article when referring to the general concept, not 'the' unless previously mentioned.
We arrived an agreement after the meeting.
We arrived at an agreement after the meeting.
💡The preposition 'at' is always required; it is not optional.

2. to choose a particular answer, plan, or way forward after carefully considering

2.片語動詞不及物B1
釋義

to choose a particular answer, plan, or way forward after carefully considering the available options

例句

The panel of judges arrived at a unanimous verdict after deliberating for two days.

collocation: arrive at a verdict

Mei-Lin arrived at the perfect design for her science project by testing different materials.

同義詞
  • reach

    most common synonym; 'reach a decision' is interchangeable in most contexts

  • come to

    slightly more conversational; 'come to a decision' sounds less formal

  • determine

    more formal and deliberate; suggests thorough analysis ('determine the cause')

反義詞
  • give up on

    stop trying to decide without reaching a conclusion

文法句型

arrive at + [decision / solution / answer / conclusion / verdict]

用法筆記

Object is a concrete outcome of a thinking process (decision, solution, answer, verdict, plan). Unlike sense 1, the subject can be a single individual as well as a group. Frequently used with evaluative adjectives: 'arrive at the right/wrong/correct solution'.

常見錯誤

I arrived to the decision that I should move.
I arrived at the decision that I should move.
💡Use 'at', not 'to', with this phrasal verb.
The team arrived at decided to start early.
The team arrived at a decision to start early.
💡'Arrive at' requires a noun phrase object, not a verb.

3. to form a particular opinion or judgment after thinking about facts, evidence, o

3.片語動詞不及物B2
釋義

to form a particular opinion or judgment after thinking about facts, evidence, or your own experience

例句

After reading the report twice, Yuki arrived at the conclusion that the data had been misinterpreted.

that-clause: arrived at the conclusion that...

The researchers arrived at a surprising understanding of how the virus spreads through air currents.

collocation: arrive at an understanding

同義詞
  • conclude

    more general verb; 'arrive at a conclusion' emphasises the process of reaching that conclusion

  • deduce

    more formal and precise; focuses on logical reasoning from known facts ('deduce from the evidence')

  • infer

    emphasises reading between the lines or drawing a conclusion from indirect information

反義詞
  • doubt

    opposite intellectual state; uncertainty instead of a firm conclusion

文法句型

arrive at + [conclusion / understanding / judgment / opinion]

arrive at the conclusion that + [clause]

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 2: sense 2 is about deciding on a practical answer or plan, while this sense is about forming a belief or intellectual conclusion. Can take a that-clause ('arrive at the conclusion that…'), which sense 2 does not allow. Subject is often a single thinking person (researcher, analyst, judge, historian).

常見錯誤

The scientist arrived that the theory was wrong.
The scientist arrived at the conclusion that the theory was wrong.
💡'Arrive at' needs a noun phrase object like 'conclusion'; it cannot be followed directly by a that-clause.
We arrived to the conclusion that the plan would not work.
We arrived at the conclusion that the plan would not work.
💡The preposition is always 'at', not 'to'.