Spanish Phrase
Llega 15 minutos antes de tu cita.
Meaning
The sentence tells someone to arrive fifteen minutes before the time of their appointment. It is a polite, direct reminder that emphasizes punctuality.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to remind a friend, client, patient, or colleague to be early for a scheduled meeting, doctor’s visit, interview, or any other appointment.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Llega15minutosantesdetucita.
Imperative (tú) – Llega
‘Llega’ is the affirmative imperative form of the verb *llegar* for the informal ‘tú’ subject. It is used to give a direct, friendly command.
Cardinal number – 15 minutos
The number *15* (quince) is placed before the noun *minutos* without a preposition; it functions as a quantitative expression.
Prepositional phrase – antes de
‘Antes de’ means ‘before’. It must be followed by a noun or infinitive, never by a verb in the indicative.
Possessive adjective – tu
‘Tu’ (without accent) is the possessive adjective meaning ‘your’. It modifies *cita* and is not the pronoun *tú*.
Noun – cita
‘Cita’ can refer to a medical, business, or social appointment. It is feminine singular, so articles and adjectives agree with it.
🗨In Conversation
¿A qué hora es la entrevista?
What time is the interview?
Es a las tres. Llega 15 minutos antes de tu cita.
It’s at three. Arrive 15 minutes before your appointment.
✕Common Mistakes
Llegas 15 minutos antes de tu cita.
The imperative for ‘tú’ drops the final –s; use ‘llega’ not ‘llegas’.
Llega 15 minutos antes a tu cita.
The correct preposition after ‘antes’ is ‘de’, not ‘a’.
Llega 15 minutos antes de tú cita.
Here you need the possessive adjective ‘tu’ (no accent). ‘tú’ is a pronoun meaning ‘you’.
↔Alternatives
Llega quince minutos antes de tu cita.
Arrive fifteen minutes before your appointment.
Llega un cuarto de hora antes de tu cita.
Arrive a quarter of an hour before your appointment.
Asegúrate de llegar 15 minutos antes de tu cita.
Make sure you arrive 15 minutes before your appointment.
Cultural Tip
In most Spanish‑speaking countries, arriving a few minutes early is considered respectful, especially for professional or medical appointments. Showing up late can be seen as rude, while arriving too early (more than 30 minutes) might inconvenience the host, so the 15‑minute window is a safe sweet spot.