il arrive

he's coming

→ il

phrase Very common #1,368

he's coming From the verb arriver. In context, it often means someone is on the way or approaching right now. The literal sense is closer to he arrives, but in natural English these examples are often translated as he's coming.

FR: Ne t'inquiète pas, il arrive dans cinq minutes.

EN: Don't worry, he's coming in five minutes.

Il arrive, dépêchez-vous !

He's coming, hurry up!

— F1® Le Film (2025)

Le camion est en retard, mais il arrive.

The truck is late, but it's arriving.

— Bacurau (2019)

Il arrive difficilement à écrire son nom.

He can hardly write his name.

Il arrive à le lire !

He manages to read it!

— Wicked (2024)

John n'est pas encore revenu, mais quand il arrive, je t'appelle.

John isn't back yet, but I'll call you when he arrives.

Il arrive demain à Paris.

He arrives in Paris tomorrow.

Il arrive tant de choses à la guerre.

So many things happen in war.

— Quand passent les cigognes (1957)

C'est l'heure à laquelle il arrive normalement.

This is the time he normally arrives.

Monsieur, il arrive !

Sir, he's coming!

— Princesse Mononoké (1997)

Il arrive ce soir.

He’s arriving tonight.

— Une seconde mère (2015)

Il arrive quand ?

When is it arriving?

Parfois il arrive de bonnes choses.

Sometimes good things happen.

— Mulholland Drive (2001)

Il arrive, papa.

He's coming, Dad.

— Amarcord (1973)

Il arrive du désert.

He comes from the desert.

— Le Patient anglais (1996)

Ils disent qu'il arrive.

They say he’s coming.

— Assassination (2015)

Il arrive à point nommé.

It comes at just the right time.

— Le Seigneur des anneaux : La Communauté de l'anneau (2001)

Oui, dès qu'il arrive.

Yes, as soon as he arrives.

— Séquences et conséquences (2000)

Il arrive demain, le spécialiste.

The specialist arrives tomorrow.

— Manon des sources (1986)

En règle générale, il arrive au bureau vers neuf heures trente du matin.

He usually arrives at the office around nine thirty in the morning.

Il arrive toujours chez lui à six heures du soir.

He always gets home at six in the evening.

Et il arrive avec un mignon petit monsieur avec une moustache.

And he arrives with a cute little man with a mustache.

— Wicked (2024)

Fais-moi savoir aussitôt qu'il arrive !

Let me know as soon as he arrives!

Il arrive dans dix minutes.

He is arriving in ten minutes.

— Andhadhun (2018)

Il arrive que vous me manquiez.

Sometimes I miss you.

Il arrive, vous le verrez peut-être.

It's coming, you might see it.

— L'Accusé (2017)

Parfois, il arrive d'en haut, des arbres, parfois d'en bas, de l'eau.

Sometimes it comes from above, from the trees; sometimes from below, from the water.

— Anaconda (2025)

Dès qu'il arrive à Tokyo, je vous appelle.

As soon as he arrives in Tokyo, I’ll call you.

N'importe, il arrive trop tard.

Never mind, he’s arriving too late.

— Princess Bride (1987)

Il arrive par la droite.

He comes from the right.

En été, il arrive qu'un vent fort se lève.

In summer, a strong wind sometimes picks up.

— Kiki la petite sorcière (1989)

Il arrive, chut !

He's coming, shhh!

— On ne vit qu'une seule fois (2011)

Il est réveillé, il arrive.

He's awake; he's on his way.

— Masaan (2015)

Attention, il arrive derrière toi.

Watch out, he's coming up behind you.

Il arrive demain.

He's arriving tomorrow.

Il arrive à Paris demain.

He arrives in Paris tomorrow.

Le Führer nourrit sa chienne, puis il arrive.

The Führer feeds his dog, then he arrives.

— La Chute (2004)

Il arrive de ces choses, dans le monde.

These things happen in the world.

Thanos, il arrive.

Thanos is coming.

— Avengers : Infinity War (2018)

Il arrive souvent en retard.

He often arrives late.

Il arrive.

He's coming.

— Paddington 2 (2017)

OK, il arrive.

Okay, he's coming.

— F1® Le Film (2025)

Il arrive !

He's coming!

— Oppenheimer (2023)

Il arrive qu'on exprime beaucoup de choses sans rien dire.

Sometimes we express a lot without saying anything.

— Mon cœur est déjà pris (1999)