come in

Use come in when someone is at the entrance of a place you're in. This could be a house, an office, a shop, or even a room. You'd say it right after they knock or when they're standing at the door. It’s a direct command, but the tone makes it an invitation. You can add please for extra politeness. Sometimes, you just open the door and say it with a smile. It's that simple!

• Your friend knocks on your apartment door. You open it and say, "Hi! Come in!"
• A customer enters your small shop. You smile and say, "Welcome! Please come in."
• You're in your office, and someone is waiting outside. You wave them over, "Yes, come in."
• After a Zoom interview, the interviewer might say, "Thanks for joining. You can come in now." (This is a bit of a metaphorical use, meaning 'proceed').

Use come in when you want someone to enter a physical space where you are. It's perfect for welcoming guests to your home. It works great for greeting customers in a business. You can use it when inviting someone from a hallway into a specific room. Think of any situation where someone is at the threshold, ready to cross it.

Don't use come in to tell someone to leave. That would be confusing! Avoid using it for abstract concepts. You wouldn't tell someone to come in to an idea. Also, if the door is locked and you can't open it, saying come in might be a bit awkward. It implies the entrance is open or can be opened. It's also not for telling someone to sit down; that's a different instruction.

Learners sometimes confuse come in with go in. Come implies movement towards the speaker. Go implies movement away. So, if you're inside and invite someone to enter, you say come in. If you're outside and tell someone to enter a building you're not in, you might say go in. Another mistake is using enter too much. Enter is more formal. It sounds a bit stiff in casual settings.

✗ Go in when you are inside and inviting someone.

✓ Come in when you are inside and inviting someone.

✗ Enter to a friend's house.

✓ Come in to a friend's house.

• Enter: More formal. You'd use this in official documents or very formal speeches. "All participants must enter the hall." It lacks the friendly warmth.
• Come on in: Even more casual and enthusiastic. It's like a double invitation. "Come on in, the water's warm!"
• Welcome: Often used with come in. "Welcome, please come in!" It's the general greeting.
• Have a seat: Used *after* someone has come in. It's the next step.

• Come on in: Adds extra enthusiasm. "Come on in, don't be shy!"
• Please come in: More polite. "Please come in, I've made tea."
• Come in, please: Slightly different word order, same meaning. "Come in, please, have a seat."
• Come in out of the rain: Specific context. "You look soaked! Come in out of the rain."

• Is come in formal or informal? It's generally neutral to informal. Perfect for most everyday situations. You can make it more formal with please.
• Can I use come in for a building? Yes, absolutely! It’s very common for welcoming people into any building, from a house to a shop.
• What's the difference between come in and go in? Come in is used when you are already inside and inviting someone to join you. Go in is used when you are outside and telling someone to enter a place you are not in.
• Is it okay to just say in? Sometimes, in very casual contexts, like texting, people might just say in. For example, "Door's open, in!" But it's much less common and can sound abrupt.
• Can come in be used figuratively? Yes! You might hear "The new members will come in next week," meaning they will start their membership. It's less common than the physical meaning.