Italian Phrase
Arriviamo tra poco.
Meaning
Literally ‘We arrive in a short while.’ It’s the go‑to way to tell someone that you’ll be at the meeting point, restaurant, or event very soon – usually within a few minutes.
When to use
Use this phrase when you’re on your way to meet friends, when you’re running late but will be there shortly, or when you want to reassure someone that help is on the way.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Arriviamotrapoco
Present Indicative – Arriviamo
‘Arriviamo’ is the first‑person plural present indicative of ‘arrivare’ (to arrive). It’s used for actions happening now or in the near future.
Preposition ‘tra’ with time
‘tra’ (or ‘fra’) is used to indicate a point in time that will occur after a short interval; it works like ‘in’ or ‘within’ in English.
Adverb ‘poco’
‘poco’ functions as an adverb meaning ‘a little’ or ‘shortly’. In the fixed expression ‘tra poco’ it conveys ‘soon’.
🗨In Conversation
Scusate, sto cercando il ristorante. Arriviamo tra poco.
Sorry, I’m looking for the restaurant. We’ll be there soon.
Nessun problema, vi aspettiamo!
No problem, we’ll wait for you!
✕Common Mistakes
Arriviamo in poco.
‘in’ is not used with ‘poco’; the correct preposition is ‘tra’ (or ‘fra’).
Arriviamo presto.
‘Presto’ means ‘early’ or ‘quickly’; it changes the nuance. Use ‘tra poco’ for ‘soon’.
Arriviamo tra poco tempo.
‘Tempo’ is redundant; ‘tra poco’ already means ‘soon’. Adding ‘tempo’ sounds unnatural.
↔Alternatives
Saremo lì tra poco.
We’ll be there soon.
Arriveremo tra poco.
We’ll arrive shortly.
Ci vediamo tra poco.
We’ll see each other soon.
Cultural Tip
In Italy punctuality is appreciated, but ‘tra poco’ is intentionally vague. It usually means within 5‑10 minutes. If you need to be precise, say ‘tra cinque minuti’ (in five minutes). Also, Italians often add a friendly smile or a quick “scusa il ritardo” (sorry for the delay) to soften the uncertainty.