Can someone help with venir, arriver, and rentrer?

[Jenni Jolly]

I'm confused about what context venir is used in, can anyone help? In French-English dictionaries it is listed as "to come", but isn't  arriver  used in the sense that we would say "I am coming tomorrow"? And then there is rentrer "to return, come back to". If anyone can help me put these three words into the correct context, I would appreciate it!

Merci beaucoup !

[George Hunt]

I think "venir" and " arriver" are the same as in English.

Yes you can say "J'arrive demain" for "I am coming tomorrow" but it is just a way of saying the same thing and no big deal

I think "rentrer" may be the same as "revenir" except it may apply to your own house (or school)

 

 La rentrée is when you come back from holiday (back to work)

[Gustaf Drevin]

I would not say that venir=arriver. Okey, basically arriver is the act of arriving (duuh!) but to a site, while venir is more the overall word for moving and hence going somewhere (not necessarily arriving somewhere, although most often you will arrive somewhere), while rentrer is to come back. 

Je vais arriver chez toi. I will arrive at your place.

Je vais venir à toi. I will go to you.

Je vais rentrer à toi. I will come back to you.

[Jenni Jolly]

I think I'm starting to understand. So would this be correct? 

I'm going to the store = use aller

I just got to the store = use arriver

I come to this store all the time = use venir

I'll be home after I stop at the store = use rentrer

Thanks again for the help!

[George Hunt]

I think that is right.

However  ,to be willfully confusing , it is also possible to say "je viens d'arriver" !

This (it is quite common) means  "I have just arrived"

 

So you can  also say

"je viens de  perdre mon porte-monnaie"  = "I have just lost my wallet" or

"le  train  vient de partir" ="the train has just left"