German Phrase
Ich bin am 1. Januar angekommen.
Meaning
This sentence uses the German Perfekt tense to describe a completed action in the past. It specifies a precise date using the preposition 'am' and an ordinal number. The verb 'ankommen' is a separable verb that requires the auxiliary verb 'sein' because it indicates a change of location.
When to use
Use this phrase when reporting your arrival date for official documents, hotel registrations, or during casual conversations about travel history. It is the standard way to communicate a past arrival in spoken German.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Ichbinam1.Januarangekommen
Auxiliary 'sein'
The verb 'bin' is the first person singular of 'sein', used here because 'ankommen' involves movement from A to B.
Preposition 'am'
This is a contraction of 'an dem' and is the mandatory preposition for days of the week and specific calendar dates.
Ordinal Numbers
The dot after '1' makes it 'first'. In the dative case after 'am', it takes the '-en' ending: 'ersten'.
🗨In Conversation
Wann bist du in Berlin angekommen?
When did you arrive in Berlin?
Ich bin am 1. Januar angekommen.
I arrived on January 1st.
✕Common Mistakes
Ich habe am 1. Januar angekommen.
Verbs indicating a change of place, like 'ankommen', must use 'sein' as the auxiliary verb in the Perfekt tense.
Ich bin in 1. Januar angekommen.
In German, dates always use the preposition 'am' (a contraction of 'an dem'), never 'in'.
↔Alternatives
Ich kam am 1. Januar an.
I arrived on January 1st (Präteritum/Written form).
Meine Ankunft war am 1. Januar.
My arrival was on January 1st.
Cultural Tip
In Germany, dates are written with a period after the number (1.) to indicate an ordinal number. When speaking, the '1.' in 'am 1.' is pronounced 'ersten'. January 1st is a major public holiday (Neujahr) in German-speaking countries, and most businesses will be closed.