<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0303</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2011-07-07</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001013238</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>ARADIGM CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>ARDM</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001457518</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>First Eagle Value in Biotechnology Master Fund, Ltd.</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O FIRST EAGLE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>1345 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10105</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <otherText>See Footnote below</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001459688</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>21 APRIL FUND LP</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O FIRST EAGLE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>1345 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10105</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <otherText>See Footnote below</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001459708</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>21 APRIL FUND LTD</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O FIRST EAGLE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>1345 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10105</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <otherText>See Footnote below</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001506964</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>DEF Associates LP</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O FIRST EAGLE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>1345 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10105</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <otherText>See Footnote below</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001459975</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>DEF Associates N.V.</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O FIRST EAGLE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>1345 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10105</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <otherText>See Footnote below</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2011-07-07</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>P</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>10625000</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0.19</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>71357909</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>See Footnote 1</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Consists of 5,312,500 shares purchased by First Eagle Value in Biotechnology Master Fund, Ltd. (&quot;FEVIBMF&quot;), 1,000,000 shares purchased by 21 April Fund, LP (&quot;21 April LP&quot;), 2,718,750 shares purchased by 21 April Fund, Ltd. (&quot;21 April Ltd.&quot;), 1,193,750 shares purchased by DEF Associates N.V. (&quot;DEF Associates Offshore&quot;) and 400,000 shares purchased by DEF Associates LP (&quot;DEF Associates Onshore&quot; and, together with FEVIBMF, 21 April LP, 21 April Ltd. and DEF Associates Offshore, the &quot;Funds&quot;). The Funds may be deemed to be members of a Section 13(d) group owning more than 10% of the issuer's outstanding common stock. Each of the Funds disclaims Section 16 beneficial ownership of the reported securities, and this report shall not be deemed an admission that any such Fund is the beneficial owner of such securities, except to the extent of its pecuniary interest therein.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/Dan DeClue</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2011-07-11</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/Dan DeClue</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2011-07-11</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/Dan DeClue</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2011-07-11</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/Dan DeClue</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2011-07-11</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/Dan DeClue</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2011-07-11</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
