Encontrar por casualidad (Come across)
come across para expresar de forma natural descubrimientos accidentales y encuentros inesperados en inglés. ¡Te hará sonar muy natural!
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'come across' when you find something or someone unexpectedly without looking for them.
- Use it for objects: 'I came across an old letter.' (max 20 words)
- Use it for people: 'I came across my boss at the gym.'
- Never put the object between 'come' and 'across'.
Overview
encontrar algo por casualidades exactamente de lo que trata
come across.come across sin que suene raro.come across es un phrasal verb. Si eres nuevo en el inglés, un phrasal verb es simplemente un verbo (como come) emparejado con una preposición o adverbio (como across). Juntos, crean un significado totalmente nuevo que no tiene nada que ver con venir o cruzar una calle físicamente.come across de dos maneras principales. La primera es encontrar algo o conocer a alguien por total accidente. No lo estabas buscando, pero ahí estaba.¡Uy, mira lo que he encontrado!del idioma inglés. La segunda manera es sobre las primeras impresiones. Describe cómo pareces ante los demás.
come across (parecer/dar la impresión) como un profesional, incluso si tu gato está atacando tus pies bajo el escritorio.find todo el tiempo es un poco aburrido. Come across añade sabor.encontré mis llaves (que estaba buscando) y me come across (topé con) mi vieja GameBoy (que había olvidado que existía).How This Grammar Works
inseparable. Esta es una forma elegante de decir que no puedes poner otras palabras en medio. No puedes decir I came a book across.
come y across justo uno al lado del otro: come across + [la cosa que encontraste].come. Across se queda exactamente como está. Es como un perro leal que nunca se separa del lado de su dueño.- Presente: A menudo
come across(encuentro por casualidad) cafeterías chulas en esta ciudad. - Pasado:
came across(me topé con) un tuit extraño ayer. - Futuro: Te
come across(encontrarás/toparás) con muchos desafíos en este juego.
Chiste: ¿Por qué el estudiante come across (cruzó/se topó con) la carretera? ¡Porque encontró un libro de gramática que no estaba buscando en el otro lado! (Vale, me limitaré a enseñar, lo prometo).
Formation Pattern
come across sigue una receta muy sencilla. Sigue estos pasos para construir tus frases:
come (conjugado para el tiempo y persona correctos).
across.
Conjugation Table
| Form | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| --- | --- | --- |
| I/You/We/They (Present) | I come across |
Me encuentro con / Doy la impresión |
| He/She/It (Present) | She comes across |
Ella parece / Da la impresión |
| Past Tense | We came across |
Nos encontramos con / Topamos con |
| Continuous | He is coming across |
Él está pareciendo / Dando la impresión |
Politeness Levels
- Informal
¡Me came across (topé con) tu Instagram ayer! (Genial para amigos).
- Formal
Durante mi investigación, came across (encontré por casualidad) una estadística interesante. (Perfecto para ensayos o trabajo).
- Muy formal
Uno puede come across (toparse con) ciertas dificultades.
When To Use It
- 1Encontrar objetos por casualidad: Estás limpiando tu habitación y encuentras tu viejo carné del instituto.
¡Me
came across(topé con) esta foto vieja! - 2Conocer gente inesperadamente: Estás en un festival de música y ves a tu antiguo vecino.
Me
came across(topé con) mi vecino en el concierto. - 3Encontrar información online: Estás navegando por Reddit y encuentras una receta genial.
Me
came across(topé con) un tutorial para hacer pan de masa madre. - 4Describir personalidades (Impresiones): Este es el uso de
¿cómo me veo?
.Él
comes across(parece/da la impresión) de ser muy seguro de sí mismo en sus vídeos. - 5Entornos profesionales: Al revisar documentos.
Me
came across(topé con) un pequeño error en el informe.
Common Mistakes
- El error de división: ✗
I
✓camean old friendacross.I
¡Siempre juntos!came acrossan old friend. - Confusión con
Find: No usescome acrosspara cosas que estabas buscando activamente. - Olvidar el
As: Al hablar de impresiones, solemos usaras. ✗He
✓comes acrossnice.He
comes acrossas nice.
Contrast With Similar Patterns
- Find: Término general. Puede ser intencionado o accidental.
Come acrosses *solo* accidental. - Run into: Muy similar a
come acrosscuando se habla de personas. - Stumble upon: Una versión más poética/dramática de
come across.
Quick FAQ
P: ¿Puedo usarlo para un olor?
R: No realmente. Solemos usar catch a whiff of.
P: ¿Está bien usarlo en una entrevista de trabajo?
R: ¡Sí! Puedes decirlo al investigar sobre la empresa.
P: ¿Cuál es el truco de memoria?
R: Piensa en una cruz (cross) física. Tú vas por un camino y el objeto está ahí. Vuestros caminos se cruzan (cross). ¡Te lo come across (topas)!
2. Negative Contractions
| Full Form | Contraction | Usage |
|---|---|---|
|
do not come across
|
don't come across
|
General truth/habit
|
|
does not come across
|
doesn't come across
|
Third person singular
|
|
did not come across
|
didn't come across
|
Past events
|
Conjugating 'Come Across'
| Tense | Subject | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Present Simple
|
I/You/We/They
|
come across
|
I often come across old friends.
|
|
Present Simple
|
He/She/It
|
comes across
|
She comes across as very kind.
|
|
Past Simple
|
All subjects
|
came across
|
We came across a hidden path.
|
|
Present Perfect
|
I/You/We/They
|
have come across
|
I have come across this issue before.
|
|
Past Participle
|
All subjects
|
come across
|
The message had come across clearly.
|
|
Continuous
|
All subjects
|
coming across
|
He is coming across as a bit arrogant.
|
Meanings
To find something or meet someone by chance, rather than by looking for them intentionally.
Finding Objects
To discover an item unexpectedly while doing something else.
“I came across a twenty-dollar bill in my winter coat.”
“Scientists came across a new species of frog in the rainforest.”
Meeting People
To encounter a person by chance in a public place.
“I came across an old school friend in London last week.”
“It's a small town; you're bound to come across someone you know.”
Impression/Personality
To behave in a way that makes people believe you have a particular characteristic.
“He comes across as a very shy person, but he's actually quite talkative.”
“I hope I didn't come across as rude during the interview.”
Clarity of Ideas
When an idea or emotion is expressed clearly and understood by others.
“Your point didn't really come across in the essay.”
“The humor in the movie doesn't always come across well in translation.”
Reference Table
| Situación | Intención | Ejemplo | Notas |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Encontrar un objeto
|
Accidental
|
`I came across an old photo.`
|
No buscabas activamente.
|
|
Conocer a una persona
|
Accidental
|
`She came across a former colleague.`
|
Encuentro inesperado.
|
|
Descubrir información
|
Accidental
|
`He came across an interesting fact.`
|
Mientras hacías otra cosa.
|
|
Encontrar un problema
|
Accidental
|
`We came across a bug in the code.`
|
Un problema imprevisto.
|
|
Percibir una impresión
|
Accidental
|
`His speech came across well.`
|
Cómo algo fue percibido.
|
|
Búsqueda activa
|
Intencional
|
`I found my keys.`
|
Usa `find`, no `come across`.
|
Espectro de formalidad
I encountered a relevant document during my research. (Academic/Casual)
I came across an interesting paper while reading. (Academic/Casual)
I found this cool article online. (Academic/Casual)
I just stumbled on this sick post. (Academic/Casual)
Formas de usar 'Come Across'
Objetos
- Old photo Came across an old photo.
- Rare book Come across a rare book.
Personas
- Old friend Came across an old friend.
- Colleague Come across a former colleague.
Información/Ideas
- Interesting article Come across an interesting article.
- New idea Came across a great idea.
Problemas/Desafíos
- Technical glitch Came across a technical glitch.
- Difficulty Come across a difficulty.
'Come Across' vs. Verbos Similares
¿Debo usar 'Come Across'?
¿Fue el encuentro o descubrimiento accidental?
¿Estás hablando de encontrar un objeto, información o de conocer a una persona?
¿Con qué te puedes 'Come Across'?
Artículos Físicos
- • Old letters
- • Rare collectibles
- • Lost keys
- • A cool rock
Personas
- • An old classmate
- • A distant relative
- • A former neighbor
- • A celebrity
Contenido Digital
- • A viral video
- • An interesting article
- • A new podcast
- • An inspiring quote
Conceptos Abstractos
- • A brilliant idea
- • A new perspective
- • A difficult problem
- • An unexpected truth
Ejemplos por nivel
I came across a dog in the park.
I found a dog by accident in the park.
Did you come across my pen?
Did you find my pen by accident?
I came across a nice shop.
I found a nice shop by chance.
She came across an old book.
She found an old book by accident.
I came across some old coins in the garden.
I found some old coins while gardening.
We came across a small cafe near the beach.
We found a cafe by chance while walking.
He came across his teacher at the cinema.
He met his teacher by accident.
I didn't come across any problems with the car.
I didn't find any problems.
I came across an interesting article while browsing the web.
I found an article by chance online.
She comes across as a very confident leader.
She gives the impression of being confident.
If you come across any errors, please let me know.
If you find any mistakes by chance...
We came across a lot of opposition to the new plan.
We encountered resistance unexpectedly.
The candidate came across very well during the televised debate.
The candidate made a good impression.
I came across this rare manuscript in a dusty corner of the library.
I discovered a rare book by chance.
It's difficult to come across such high-quality materials these days.
It is hard to find these materials by chance/luck.
His sarcasm didn't really come across in the text message.
His sarcasm wasn't clearly communicated.
In his latest book, he comes across as somewhat disillusioned with modern society.
He appears to be disillusioned based on his writing.
The researchers came across a significant anomaly in the control group data.
They found an unexpected data point.
I've never come across such a blatant disregard for the rules.
I have never encountered such behavior before.
The emotional depth of the performance really came across to the audience.
The audience felt and understood the emotion.
The nuances of the dialect often fail to come across in standard translations.
The subtle meanings are lost in translation.
One occasionally comes across a piece of architecture that defies all categorization.
One sometimes finds a unique building by chance.
He comes across as an intellectual heavyweight, despite his lack of formal schooling.
He gives the impression of being very smart.
The sheer scale of the tragedy only truly came across when the aerial footage was released.
The magnitude was only understood then.
Fácil de confundir
Both mean meeting by chance. Learners use them interchangeably for objects.
Learners use 'come across' for things they were actively searching for.
The words look similar.
Errores comunes
I came an old book across.
I came across an old book.
I comed across a cat.
I came across a cat.
I come across with my friend.
I came across my friend.
I came across to a shop.
I came across a shop.
I am looking for my keys and I came across them.
I was looking for my keys and I found them.
He comes across like a nice guy.
He comes across as a nice guy.
I came across it yesterday.
I came across it yesterday.
The message didn't come acrossed.
The message didn't come across.
I came across to him in the street.
I came across him in the street.
He comes across as being rude.
He comes across as rude.
The idea came across itself well.
The idea came across well.
Patrones de oraciones
I came across ___ while I was ___.
He/She comes across as ___.
Have you ever come across ___?
The ___ didn't really come across in the ___.
Real World Usage
I came across your TikTok and had to follow!
I want to come across as someone who is eager to learn.
The researchers came across a flaw in the previous study.
We came across a beautiful waterfall while hiking.
Look at this meme I came across lol.
I came across this dress and thought of you.
Recuerda los hallazgos 'accidentales'
come across como encontrar algo sin buscarlo activamente. Si lo estabas buscando, find suele ser mejor. ¡Es cuestión de sorpresa! I came across my old diary.
No separes el verbo
come across significa 'encontrar por casualidad', es inseparable. Siempre dices I came across a book, nunca
I came a book across. ¡Mantenlos juntos como mejores amigos!
Distingue el uso de percepción
come across también describe cómo alguien o algo es percibido. Por ejemplo, She came across as very intelligent. ¡Este matiz es súper útil en entornos profesionales!
Natural en charlas casuales
come across hace que tu inglés suene mucho más natural, especialmente en conversaciones cotidianas. Es un *phrasal verb* común que los nativos usan todo el tiempo para encuentros inesperados, ¡desde leyendas de Instagram hasta chismorreos en la cafetería!Smart Tips
Use 'come across as' followed by an adjective. It's the most natural way to describe first impressions.
Always use 'came across' to emphasize that you weren't looking for that specific item.
Glue 'come' and 'across' together. Never let a pronoun break them up.
Use 'come across' in the negative to explain why someone didn't understand you.
Pronunciación
Linking
The 'm' in 'come' links to the 'a' in 'across'. It sounds like 'co-macross'.
Stress
The primary stress is on the second syllable of 'across'.
Falling Intonation
I came across a ↘️ photo.
A standard declarative statement.
Memorízalo
Mnemotecnia
ACROSS = A Chance Random Occurrence Someplace Somewhere.
Asociación visual
Imagine you are walking across a bridge and you see a shiny diamond on the floor. You weren't looking for a diamond, you were just walking 'across' the bridge.
Rhyme
When you're walking and you're lost, see what you have come across!
Story
I was cleaning my room when I came across a map. The map led me to a park where I came across an old friend. We talked, and he came across as a very happy person.
Word Web
Desafío
Look through a random book or website for 2 minutes. Write down one interesting fact or word you 'came across'.
Notas culturales
In the UK, 'come across' is very common in school reports to describe a student's attitude (e.g., 'He comes across as a diligent student').
Americans often use 'run into' for people more frequently than 'come across', reserving 'come across' for objects or abstract ideas.
Aussies might use 'stumble across' as a more casual alternative in outdoor contexts.
The phrase combines the verb 'come' (Old English cuman) with 'across' (from 'a-' + 'cross').
Inicios de conversación
Have you ever come across something valuable on the street?
How do you think you come across to people when you first meet them?
What's the strangest thing you've ever come across in an old book?
If you came across a suitcase full of money, would you keep it?
Temas para diario
Errores comunes
Test Yourself
Yesterday, I ___ a really old map in the attic.
Find and fix the mistake:
I often come my favorite songs across when browsing playlists.
Elige la frase correcta:
Come across implica encontrar algo por casualidad, no buscar activamente o planear un encuentro. Deslizarse por el feed es una actividad incidental.Score: /3
Ejercicios de practica
8 exercisesYesterday, I ___ an old diary in my desk.
Choose the correct word order.
Find and fix the mistake:
She comes across with a very intelligent person.
across / did / you / any / come / problems / ?
Translate using 'come across'.
1. Finding an object, 2. Giving an impression, 3. Meeting a person
I ___ my keys after looking for twenty minutes.
The teacher's explanation didn't really ___ to the students.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
12 exercisesYou might ___ some unexpected deals if you browse the clearance section.
During her travels, she often ___ new cultures and traditions.
He actively searched for his lost dog and came across it in the park.
Her presentation came across confusing because of the lack of examples.
¿Qué frase es correcta?
¿Qué frase es correcta?
Traduce al inglés: 'Me encontré con un antiguo manuscrito en la biblioteca.'
Traduce al inglés: 'Su propuesta sonó muy convincente.'
Ordena estas palabras para formar una frase:
Ordena estas palabras para formar una frase:
Empareja los sujetos con la forma verbal correcta:
Empareja los principios con los finales:
Score: /12
Preguntas frecuentes (8)
Yes, but only if you find it by accident while doing something else. If you are actively searching for it, use `found`.
It is neutral. You can use it in a casual text message or a formal business report. It is very versatile.
`Stumble upon` is more informal and emphasizes the 'clumsy' or highly accidental nature of the find. They are very similar.
No. This is a common mistake. You should say `I came across a friend`. No 'with' is needed.
No, we don't usually use it in the passive. We don't say 'The photo was come across by me.'
Yes! You can `come across an idea` in a book or `come across a problem` in a project.
It comes from the idea of your path 'crossing' the path of the object or person by chance.
Yes, mainly for the 'impression' sense: 'He is coming across as very helpful today.'
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Encontrarse con / Toparse con
English does not use a preposition like 'with' after 'across'.
Tomber sur
The literal imagery is 'falling' in French vs 'crossing' in English.
Zufällig stoßen auf
English 'come across' is never separable, unlike many German phrasal verbs.
ふと見つける (Futo mitsukeru)
Japanese relies on adverbs to show the 'accidental' nature, while English uses a specific phrasal verb.
صادف (Sadafa)
Arabic uses a single root verb, whereas English uses a verb-preposition combination.
偶然发现 (Ǒurán fāxiàn)
English 'come across' is a single semantic unit (phrasal verb), not an adverb + verb.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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