Spanish Phrase
Un amigo me invitó a venir.
Meaning
The sentence means 'A friend invited me to come.' It uses the preterite tense to talk about a past invitation, while the infinitive 'venir' refers to the action that was proposed. The focus is on the invitation itself, not necessarily on whether the speaker actually went.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to tell someone that you received an invitation in the past, especially when the invitation involves coming to a place, an event, or joining a group.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Unamigomeinvitóavenir
Un (indefinite article)
Used before masculine singular nouns to mean 'a' or 'one'.
amigo (noun)
Masculine singular noun meaning 'friend'.
me (indirect object pronoun)
First‑person singular pronoun that indicates the person receiving the invitation.
invitó (preterite of invitar)
Third‑person singular preterite form of 'invitar', indicating a completed action in the past.
a (preposition)
Introduces an infinitive after verbs of invitation, request, or motion.
venir (infinitive)
Infinitive verb meaning 'to come'. Used after 'invitó a' to express the action being invited to.
🗨In Conversation
¿Te gustaría ir al concierto este sábado?
Would you like to go to the concert this Saturday?
Un amigo me invitó a venir.
A friend invited me to come.
✕Common Mistakes
Un amigo me invitó venir.
Do not omit the preposition 'a' before the infinitive; 'invitó venir' is ungrammatical.
Un amigo invitó a mí a venir.
The indirect object pronoun must be placed before the verb, not after the preposition.
Un amigo me invitó a ir.
When the action is about coming to the speaker's location, use 'venir' not 'ir'.
↔Alternatives
Un amigo me pidió que fuera.
A friend asked me to go.
Un amigo me llamó para que viniera.
A friend called me so that I would come.
Un amigo me invitó a asistir.
A friend invited me to attend.
Cultural Tip
In most Spanish‑speaking countries, the construction 'invitar a + infinitive' is the standard way to express an invitation. The verb 'venir' is used even if the event is far away; it simply conveys the idea of 'coming' to the place the speaker is referring to. Be careful not to replace it with 'ir' (to go) unless you are speaking from the perspective of the destination.