What does “dotrzeć” mean in Polish, and how is it different from “przyjść”?

Polish has plenty of verbs for getting somewhere, but dotrzeć carries a hint of effort: you did not just show up, you made it. The delivery man in this clip fears he will not dotrzeć na czas, “get there on time.” Use it for a tired courier, a long journey, or a message that finally reaches someone, and save przyjść or dojść for plain arrivals.

Dotrzeć is perfective, so it describes the moment you arrive: dotarłem do domu o północy (“I made it home at midnight”). Its imperfective partner is docierać. It also works for things that are not people: wiadomość dotarła do wszystkich (“the news reached everyone”), and dotrzeć do celu means “to reach the goal,” on a map or in life.