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 across의 핵심입니다. 이 표현은 교과서적인 문장보다 원어민처럼 들리게 해주는 구동사 중 하나입니다. 이 가이드에서는 come across를 어색하지 않게 사용하는 방법을 알아보겠습니다.come across는 구동사(phrasal verb)입니다. 영어가 처음이신 분들을 위해 설명하자면, 구동사는 동사(come 등)와 전치사나 부사(across 등)가 결합된 것입니다. 이들이 합쳐지면 물리적으로 «오다»나 길을 «건너다»와는 전혀 관련이 없는 새로운 의미가 만들어집니다.come across는 크게 두 가지 방식으로 사용됩니다. 첫 번째는 완전히 우연히 무언가를 발견하거나 누군가를 만나는 것입니다. 찾으려던 게 아닌데 그곳에 있었던 상황이죠.come across(보이고/인상을 주고) 싶을 것입니다.find라는 단어만 쓰는 건 좀 지루하기 때문입니다. come across는 표현에 풍미를 더해줍니다. 듣는 사람에게 그 발견이 놀라움이었다는 것을 알려줍니다. «열쇠를 찾았다»(찾고 있었던 것)와 오래된 게임보이를 come across(우연히 발견했다)(있는 줄도 몰랐던 것)의 차이입니다.How This Grammar Works
I came a book across라고 말할 수 없습니다. 그렇게 말하면 오류가 난 것처럼 들릴 것입니다. 항상
come과 across를 나란히 붙여 두어야 합니다: come across + [발견한 것].come 부분만 바뀝니다. across는 그대로 유지됩니다. 주인 곁을 떠나지 않는 충직한 강아지와 같습니다.- 현재: 나는 이 도시에서 멋진 카페를 자주
come across(우연히 발견합니다). - 과거: 어제 이상한 트윗을
came across(우연히 발견했습니다). - 미래: 이 게임에서 많은 어려움을
come across(겪게/직면하게) 될 것입니다.
come across(건넜을/우연히 발견했을)까요? 반대편에서 찾지도 않던 문법책을 발견했기 때문입니다! (네, 가르치는 일에만 집중할게요, 약속합니다.)
Formation Pattern
come across 사용은 아주 간단한 레시피를 따릅니다. 다음 단계에 따라 문장을 만들어 보세요:
come을 추가합니다(시제와 인칭에 맞게 변화).
across라는 단어를 추가합니다.
Conjugation Table
| Form | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| --- | --- | --- |
| I/You/We/They (Present) | I come across |
우연히 발견하다 / 인상을 주다 |
| He/She/It (Present) | She comes across |
~해 보이다 |
| Past Tense | We came across |
우연히 발견했다 |
| Continuous | He is coming across |
현재 ~해 보이고 있다 |
Politeness Levels
- 캐주얼
어제 네 인스타그램을 came across(우연히 봤어)! (친구에게 적합).
- 포멀
조사 과정에서 흥미로운 통계 자료를 came across(발견했습니다). (에세이나 업무에 적합).
- 매우 포멀
어떤 어려움을 come across(마주할) 수도 있습니다.
When To Use It
- 1우연히 물건 발견: 방 청소를 하다가 옛날 학생증을 발견함.
이 오래된 사진을
came across(우연히 찾았어)! - 2예상치 못하게 사람 만남: 음악 페스티벌에서 옛 이웃을 봄.
콘서트에서 이웃을
came across(우연히 만났어). - 3온라인 정보 발견: Reddit을 보다가 멋진 레시피를 발견함.
사워도우 만드는 튜토리얼을
came across(우연히 봤어). - 4성격 묘사 (인상): «내가 어떻게 보여?»라는 용도입니다.
그는 영상에서 아주 자신감 있게
comes across(보입니다). - 5비즈니스 환경: 서류 검토 중.
보고서에서 작은 오류를
came across(발견했습니다).
Common Mistakes
- 분리 오류: ✗
I
✓camean old friendacross.I
항상 함께 써야 합니다!came acrossan old friend. Find와 혼동: 적극적으로 찾고 있던 것에는come across를 쓰지 마세요.As누락: 인상에 대해 말할 때는 보통as를 씁니다. ✗He
✓comes acrossnice.He
comes acrossas nice.
Contrast With Similar Patterns
- Find: 일반적인 단어. 의도적일 수도, 우연일 수도 있음.
come across는 *오직* 우연일 때만. - Run into: 사람에 대해 말할 때
come across와 매우 비슷함. - Stumble upon:
come across보다 좀 더 시적이고 극적인 표현.
Quick FAQ
catch a whiff of를 씁니다.come across(우연한 만남)입니다!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
| 상황 | 의도 | 예시 | 설명 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Finding an object
|
Accidental
|
`I came across an old photo.`
|
적극적으로 찾고 있지 않았을 때.
|
|
Meeting a person
|
Accidental
|
`She came across a former colleague.`
|
예상치 못한 만남.
|
|
Discovering information
|
Accidental
|
`He came across an interesting fact.`
|
다른 것을 하던 중에.
|
|
Encountering a problem
|
Accidental
|
`We came across a bug in the code.`
|
예상치 못한 문제.
|
|
Perceiving an impression
|
Accidental
|
`His speech came across well.`
|
어떻게 인지되었는지.
|
|
Actively searching
|
Intentional
|
`I found my keys.`
|
`come across` 대신 `find` 사용.
|
격식 수준 스펙트럼
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)
'Come Across' 사용법
물건
- 오래된 사진 Came across an old photo.
- 희귀 서적 Come across a rare book.
사람
- 옛 친구 Came across an old friend.
- 동료 Come across a former colleague.
정보/아이디어
- 흥미로운 기사 Come across an interesting article.
- 새로운 아이디어 Came across a great idea.
문제/어려움
- 기술적 결함 Came across a technical glitch.
- 어려움 Come across a difficulty.
'Come Across'와 유사 동사 비교
'Come Across'를 사용해야 할까요?
우연한 만남 또는 발견이었나요?
물건, 정보, 또는 사람을 만난 것에 대한 이야기인가요?
무엇을 'Come Across' 할 수 있을까요?
실물 물건
- • 오래된 편지
- • 희귀 수집품
- • 잃어버린 열쇠
- • 멋진 돌
사람
- • 옛 반 친구
- • 먼 친척
- • 옛 이웃
- • 유명인
디지털 콘텐츠
- • 바이럴 영상
- • 흥미로운 기사
- • 새로운 팟캐스트
- • 영감을 주는 명언
추상적 개념
- • 훌륭한 아이디어
- • 새로운 관점
- • 어려운 문제
- • 예상치 못한 진실
수준별 예문
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.
혼동하기 쉬운
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.
자주 하는 실수
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.
문장 패턴
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.
뜻밖의 발견을 기억하기
come across를 써요. I came across an old photo,처럼요. 적극적으로 찾은 게 아니라 우연히 발견한 것에 집중하는 거죠!
동사를 분리하지 마세요
come across는 '우연히 발견하다'는 의미일 때 절대 떨어뜨려 쓰면 안 돼요. I came across a book처럼 항상 붙여서 사용해야 하고,
I came a book across는 틀린 표현이에요. 가장 친한 친구처럼 붙어 다녀야 해요!
'어떤 인상을 주다'라는 의미도 알아두세요
come across는 우연한 발견뿐 아니라, 다른 사람에게 '어떤 인상을 주다'는 의미로도 쓰여요. 예를 들어, She came across as very intelligent는 '그녀가 매우 똑똑하게 비춰졌다'는 뜻이에요. 사회생활에서 아주 유용하겠죠?
일상 대화에서 자연스럽게 들려요
come across를 사용하면 영어가 훨씬 더 자연스럽게 들려요. 특히 일상적인 대화에서 많이 쓰이는 구동사로, 인스타그램 캡션이나 친구들과 수다 떨 때처럼 예상치 못한 만남을 이야기할 때 자주 들을 수 있어요.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.
발음
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.
암기하기
기억법
ACROSS = A Chance Random Occurrence Someplace Somewhere.
시각적 연상
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
챌린지
Look through a random book or website for 2 minutes. Write down one interesting fact or word you 'came across'.
문화 노트
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').
대화 시작하기
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?
일기 주제
자주 하는 실수
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.
Choose the correct sentence:
Score: /3
연습 문제
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
자주 묻는 질문 (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
Related Grammar Rules
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