Meaning & use
what ETA
Last updated
Meanings
phrasefixed phraseinformal
A question asking when someone or something is expected to arrive.
Grammar: Used as a short, informal question; it can stand alone or come after a name or pronoun.
Patterns
- what ETA
- what's your ETA
- what ETA for something
What ETA? We're all waiting at the station.
I texted the driver: 'What ETA?'
What's your ETA for the meeting tomorrow?
abbreviation
The letters ETA, short for 'estimated time of arrival', used to give an expected arrival time.
Grammar: Often written in capitals and followed by 'is' and a time: 'ETA is 6 p.m.'
Patterns
- ETA is …
- give an ETA
- what is the ETA
The flight's ETA is 14:35 local time.
Can you give me an ETA so I know when to leave?
Our ETA at the hotel is around seven.
Common combinations
- What's your ETA?
- What's your ETA? I've been here for half an hour.
- give an ETA
- Please give an ETA when you set off.
- ETA is …
- The ETA is 9:15, so we should be fine.
Synonyms and how they differ
- arrival time
- More formal and neutral, and it does not need to be an estimate.
Commonly confused: what ETA or ETD?
what ETA vs ETD
ETD means 'estimated time of departure', the time a plane, train, or person is expected to leave.
Practice
You are waiting for a friend and want to know when they will arrive. Which is the most natural question?
Choose one answer.
'What ETA?' is the common informal question. 'What is ETA?' sounds incomplete because ETA normally needs a possessive or 'the': 'What's your ETA?' or 'What is the ETA?'
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “what ETA”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.