The impersonal sense: things happen.
Arriver also means to happen: « qu’est-ce qui t’arrive ? » — what’s happening to you, what’s wrong? And ça arrive on its own means “it happens”, used to forgive a mistake: someone apologises, you say « ça arrive ».
The impersonal il arrive que takes the subjunctive: « il arrive qu’il soit en retard » — it happens that he’s late sometimes. That subjunctive is a B2 marker.
💡 Focus at this level: arriver = to happen
1. « Ça arrive » forgives. The kindest two words in French.
2. « Qu’est-ce qui t’arrive ? » asks what’s wrong.
3. « Il arrive que » + subjunctive. Occasional occurrence.
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