if I am travelling in a foreign country and the local people there asked me when I entered this country. Are the following three sentences equivalent:
- I came here a week ago
- I got here a week ago
- I arrived here a week ago
Word Usage – Best Contexts for ‘I Came’, ‘Arrived’, and ‘Got Here’ a Week Ago
word-choiceword-usage
Best Answer
In response to that question, all are equally good. More generally, there are nuances.
I arrived is the most neutral and formal.
I came here a week ago: I may have gone away and come again during that week. The other two do not suggest that possibility. “I came to this restaurant last week and it was busy; why is it now closed?”
I got here is the most informal. It may (or may not) imply some difficulty in the trip, or competitiveness. “Where have you been? I got here a week ago!”