Tomber sur par hasard (Come across)
come across pour exprimer naturellement les découvertes et rencontres accidentelles en anglais. C'est un phrasal verb super utile !
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
come across.come across sans que ce soit bizarre.come across est un verbe à particule. Si vous débutez en anglais, un verbe à particule est simplement un verbe (comme come) associé à une préposition ou un adverbe (comme across). Ensemble, ils créent une toute nouvelle signification qui n'a rien à voir avec le fait de « venir » ou de « traverser » physiquement une route.come across de deux manières principales. La première consiste à trouver quelque chose ou à rencontrer quelqu'un par pur hasard. Vous ne le cherchiez pas, mais c'était là.come across (donner l'impression) d'être professionnel, même si votre chat attaque vos pieds sous le bureau.find tout le temps est un peu ennuyeux. Come across ajoute du peps.come across (tombé sur) ma vieille GameBoy » (dont j'avais oublié l'existence).How This Grammar Works
come et across juste l'un à côté de l'autre : come across + [la chose que vous avez trouvée].come. Across reste exactement tel quel. C'est comme un chien fidèle qui ne quitte jamais le côté de son maître.- Présent : Je
come across(tombe souvent sur) des cafés sympas dans cette ville. - Passé : Je
came across(suis tombé sur) un tweet étrange hier. - Futur : Tu
come across(rencontreras/tomberas sur) de nombreux défis dans ce jeu.
Blague: Pourquoi l'étudiant a-t-il come across (traversé/est tombé sur) la route ? Parce qu'il a trouvé un livre de grammaire qu'il ne cherchait pas de l'autre côté ! (Bon, je vais m'en tenir à l'enseignement, promis).
Formation Pattern
come across suit une recette très simple. Suivez ces étapes pour construire vos phrases :
come (conjugué au bon temps et à la bonne personne).
across.
Conjugation Table
| Form | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| --- | --- | --- |
| I/You/We/They (Present) | I come across |
Je tombe sur / Je parais |
| He/She/It (Present) | She comes across |
Elle paraît / Elle donne l'impression |
| Past Tense | We came across |
Nous sommes tombés sur |
| Continuous | He is coming across |
Il paraît actuellement |
Politeness Levels
- Décontracté
« Je came across (suis tombé sur) ton Instagram hier ! » (Génial pour les amis).
- Formel
« Au cours de mes recherches, je came across (suis tombé sur) une statistique intéressante. » (Parfait pour les essais ou le travail).
- Très formel
« On peut come across (rencontrer) certaines difficultés. »
When To Use It
- 1Trouver des objets par hasard : Vous rangez votre chambre et trouvez votre vieille carte de lycéen. « Je
came across(suis tombé sur) cette vieille photo ! » - 2Rencontrer des gens de manière inattendue : Vous êtes à un festival de musique et vous voyez votre ancien voisin. « Je
came across(suis tombé sur) mon voisin au concert. » - 3Trouver des informations en ligne : Vous naviguez sur Reddit et trouvez une super recette. « Je
came across(suis tombé sur) un tutoriel pour faire du pain au levain. » - 4Décrire des personnalités (Impressions) : C'est l'usage « De quoi ai-je l'air ? ». « Il
comes across(paraît) très confiant dans ses vidéos. » - 5Cadre professionnel : Lors de la révision de documents. « Je
came across(ai relevé) une petite erreur dans le rapport. »
Common Mistakes
- L'erreur de séparation : ✗ « I
camean old friendacross. » ✓ « Icame acrossan old friend. » Toujours ensemble ! - Confusion avec
Find: N'utilisez pascome acrosspour des choses que vous cherchiez activement. - Oublier le
As: Quand on parle d'impressions, on utilise généralement « as ». ✗ « Hecomes acrossnice. » ✓ « Hecomes acrossas nice. »
Contrast With Similar Patterns
- Find : Terme général. Peut être intentionnel ou accidentel.
Come acrossest *uniquement* accidentel. - Run into : Très similaire à
come acrosspour parler de personnes. - Stumble upon : Une version plus poétique/dramatique de
come across.
Quick FAQ
R: Pas vraiment. On utilise généralement catch a whiff of.
R: Oui ! Vous pouvez le dire en faisant des recherches sur l'entreprise.
R: Pensez à une « croix » (cross) physique. Vous marchez dans une direction, et l'objet est là. Vos chemins se croisent (cross). Vous le come across (rencontrez par hasard) !
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
| Situation | Intention | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Finding an object
|
Accidental
|
`I came across an old photo.`
|
Pas de recherche active.
|
|
Meeting a person
|
Accidental
|
`She came across a former colleague.`
|
Rencontre inattendue.
|
|
Discovering information
|
Accidental
|
`He came across an interesting fact.`
|
En faisant autre chose.
|
|
Encountering a problem
|
Accidental
|
`We came across a bug in the code.`
|
Un problème imprévu.
|
|
Perceiving an impression
|
Accidental
|
`His speech came across well.`
|
Comment quelque chose a été perçu.
|
|
Actively searching
|
Intentional
|
`I found my keys.`
|
Utilise `find`, pas `come across`.
|
Spectre de formalité
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)
Façons de 'Come Across'
Objets
- Old photo Came across an old photo.
- Rare book Come across a rare book.
Personnes
- Old friend Came across an old friend.
- Colleague Come across a former colleague.
Informations/Idées
- Interesting article Come across an interesting article.
- New idea Came across a great idea.
Problèmes/Défis
- Technical glitch Came across a technical glitch.
- Difficulty Come across a difficulty.
'Come Across' vs. Verbes similaires
Dois-je utiliser 'Come Across' ?
La rencontre ou la découverte était-elle accidentelle ?
Parles-tu de trouver un objet, une information, ou de rencontrer une personne ?
Sur quoi peut-on 'Come Across' ?
Objets physiques
- • Old letters
- • Rare collectibles
- • Lost keys
- • A cool rock
Personnes
- • An old classmate
- • A distant relative
- • A former neighbor
- • A celebrity
Contenu numérique
- • A viral video
- • An interesting article
- • A new podcast
- • An inspiring quote
Concepts abstraits
- • A brilliant idea
- • A new perspective
- • A difficult problem
- • An unexpected truth
Exemples par niveau
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.
Facile à confondre
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.
Erreurs courantes
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.
Structures de phrases
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.
Retiens les découvertes "accidentelles"
Ne sépare jamais le verbe
Distingue l'usage de perception
She came across as very intelligent.
C'est naturel en discussion informelle
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.
Prononciation
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.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
ACROSS = A Chance Random Occurrence Someplace Somewhere.
Association visuelle
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
Défi
Look through a random book or website for 2 minutes. Write down one interesting fact or word you 'came across'.
Notes culturelles
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').
Amorces de conversation
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?
Sujets d'écriture
Erreurs courantes
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.
Choisis la bonne phrase :
Score: /3
Exercices pratiques
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.
Which sentence is correct?
Which sentence is correct?
Translate into English: 'Me encontré con un antiguo manuscrito en la biblioteca.'
Translate into English: 'Su propuesta sonó muy convincente.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the subjects with the correct verb form:
Match the beginnings with the endings:
Score: /12
FAQ (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
Vidéos associées
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