The phrasal verb "come in" is commonly used to mean to enter a place or building. It implies movement from an exterior point to an interior one. For instance, you might say, "Please come in, it's cold outside."
Beyond its literal sense, "come in" can also refer to something becoming available or arriving, such as a new product coming in stock or a message coming in through email. It can also describe a situation or piece of information becoming relevant or useful, as in, "That's where your expertise comes in."
Furthermore, "come in" is used when a trend or fashion becomes popular, like when a particular style of clothing "comes in." In broadcasting, it can indicate a signal being received clearly. For example, a radio announcer might ask, "Do you read me? Are you coming in clear?"
§ Understanding 'Come In'
The phrase “come in” is a common phrasal verb in English, meaning to enter a place. It's a versatile phrase used in many everyday situations. While it might seem straightforward, understanding its nuances, especially with prepositions and different grammatical contexts, can greatly improve your English communication at a CEFR A2 level and beyond.
Let's break down how to use “come in” effectively in your sentences, focusing on its grammatical patterns and common pairings with other words.
§ Basic Usage: Simply Entering
The most basic use of “come in” is to simply indicate the act of entering. It doesn't usually require an object directly after it when the context of entering is clear. Think of it as a complete action in itself.
- DEFINITION
- To enter a place, often in response to an invitation or a signal.
Please come in, the door is open.
The children want to come in from the cold.
§ Using 'Come In' with Prepositions to Specify Location
While “come in” itself means to enter, you can often add prepositions to be more specific about *where* someone is entering. The most common prepositions used with “come in” are “to” and “into”.
§ Come in to [a place]
When you want to specify the particular place someone is entering, you can use “come in to” followed by the name of the place. This structure highlights the destination of the entry.
He asked me to come in to his office.
Can you come in to the meeting a bit early?
§ Come in (and) into [a place]
Using “into” emphasizes the movement from outside to inside. While “come in to” focuses on the destination, “come in into” more strongly highlights the act of penetration. Often, the “in” before “into” is implied or acts as a slight reinforcement of the direction.
She watched him come in into the house.
The light started to come in into the dark room as the sun rose.
§ Imperative Use of 'Come In'
“Come in” is very frequently used as an imperative (a command or polite request), especially when inviting someone to enter.
“Hello! Please come in!” said the host.
Don't just stand there, come in!
§ 'Come In' in Questions
You can also use “come in” in questions, typically when asking for permission or if someone has entered.
May I come in?
Did you come in through the back door?
§ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Don't confuse with 'go in': While similar, 'come in' implies movement towards the speaker or a central point, whereas 'go in' implies movement away from the speaker.
- No direct object without a preposition: You wouldn't typically say 'come in the house'. Instead, use a preposition like 'come into the house' or 'come in to the house'.
How Formal Is It?
"Please enter the premises."
"Please come in."
"Hey, step in for a bit!"
"Come inside, it's getting cold."
"Just roll in whenever you're ready."
Difficulty Rating
Extremely common phrasal verb, high-frequency use.
Straightforward to use in simple sentences.
Very common in everyday conversation.
Clear pronunciation, easy to distinguish.
What to Learn Next
Learn Next
Advanced
Grammar to Know
Phrasal Verbs: 'Come in' is a phrasal verb, which is a verb combined with a preposition or adverb (or both) to create a new meaning. The meaning of a phrasal verb is often different from the meaning of the individual words.
Please come in and sit down.
Intransitive Use: In this context, 'come in' is used intransitively, meaning it does not take a direct object. The action is complete in itself.
He knocked, and then he came in.
Separable vs. Inseparable: 'Come in' is an inseparable phrasal verb. This means the preposition 'in' cannot be separated from the verb 'come' by an object. For example, you cannot say 'come the room in'.
The cat came in through the open window.
Common Usage with Imperatives: 'Come in' is very commonly used in imperative sentences to give a command or invitation.
Come in, the door's open!
Tense and Aspect: Like other verbs, 'come in' can be conjugated into various tenses and aspects (e.g., past simple 'came in', present continuous 'is coming in', present perfect 'has come in').
She has just come in from her walk.
Examples by Level
Please come in and make yourself at home.
Пожалуйста, заходите и чувствуйте себя как дома.
A polite invitation to enter.
The rain started, so we decided to come in from the garden.
Пошел дождь, поэтому мы решили зайти с улицы.
Indicates moving from outside to inside.
I knocked, and a voice said, 'Come in!'
Я постучал, и голос сказал: 'Заходите!'
A common way to grant permission to enter.
What time does the next speaker come in?
Во сколько придет следующий докладчик?
Can refer to someone arriving at a place or event.
We waited for the doctor to come in for our appointment.
Мы ждали, пока доктор придет на наш прием.
Refers to a person entering a room or building for a specific purpose.
The new furniture will come in next week.
Новая мебель придет на следующей неделе.
Can also mean to arrive or be delivered.
After a long day, it's nice to come in and relax.
После долгого дня приятно зайти и расслабиться.
Emphasizes the comfort of entering a familiar space.
The children were told to come in when the streetlights came on.
Детям сказали заходить, когда загорятся уличные фонари.
An instruction to return inside, often for children.
Often Confused With
This phrasal verb has many meanings, including to encourage, to start, or to hurry, but not to enter a place.
This means to visit someone at their home, rather than just entering a place.
This phrasal verb means to approach, to arise, or to be mentioned, not to enter.
Easily Confused
'Come in' and 'go in' are both phrasal verbs that mean to enter, but their usage depends on the speaker's perspective.
'Come in' is used when the speaker is inside the place or inviting someone to where they are. 'Go in' is used when the speaker is outside the place or referring to someone entering a place where neither the speaker nor the listener is present.
The teacher said, 'Come in, class.' (Teacher is inside) vs. 'We need to go in the building now.' (Speaker is outside)
Both 'come in' and 'get in' can mean to enter, but 'get in' often implies some difficulty or effort in entering, or refers to entering a confined space.
'Come in' is a general invitation to enter. 'Get in' can suggest squeezing into a small space, or overcoming an obstacle to enter. It's also commonly used for vehicles.
Please come in and sit down. (Simple entry) vs. It was hard to get in the small car. (Difficulty)
'Walk in' is a more specific way to enter, while 'come in' is more general.
'Come in' simply means to enter. 'Walk in' specifies the method of entry, meaning to enter by walking.
Come in, the door is open. (General invitation) vs. He just walked in without knocking. (Specific action of walking)
'Enter' is a more formal synonym for 'come in'.
'Come in' is a phrasal verb and is more common in everyday, informal speech. 'Enter' is a single verb and is generally more formal.
Come in and make yourself comfortable. (Informal) vs. Please enter the premises through the main gate. (Formal)
While 'come in' focuses on the act of entering a specific place, 'arrive' refers to reaching a destination.
'Come in' implies crossing a threshold into a building or room. 'Arrive' is about reaching a location, which might or might not involve entering a building immediately.
She came in from the cold. (Entering the house) vs. They arrived at the airport. (Reaching the location, not necessarily entering the terminal building yet)
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Imagine a friend calling out 'Come in!' as you arrive at their house. The phrase itself is a direct instruction to enter.
Visual Association
Picture a door slowly opening, and a friendly face peeking out, inviting you with the words 'come in'.
Word Web
Challenge
Next time you are about to enter a room or building, say to yourself, 'I am about to come in.' When someone knocks on your door, think about what you would say to invite them 'in'.
Practice in Real Life
Real-World Contexts
The door was open, so I decided to come in.
- decided to come in
- door was open
- I came in
Please come in, the weather's quite cold outside.
- Please come in
- weather's cold
- come in from the cold
She invited me to come in for a cup of tea.
- invited me to come in
- for a cup of tea
- come in and have tea
He knocked on the door and waited for someone to say 'come in'.
- knocked on the door
- waited for someone to say
- say 'come in'
The children were playing outside, but their mom told them to come in for dinner.
- playing outside
- told them to come in
- come in for dinner
Conversation Starters
"When was the last time you were invited to 'come in' somewhere, and what was it for?"
"Imagine you're at a friend's house. What's a polite way to ask them to 'come in'?"
"Have you ever been waiting for someone to say 'come in' and they didn't? What happened?"
"What's a common situation where someone might tell children to 'come in'?"
"If you were to invite someone to 'come in' to your home, what's the first thing you'd offer them?"
Journal Prompts
Describe a time when you felt very welcome when you 'came in' to a new place or situation.
Reflect on a situation where you had to decide whether or not to 'come in' somewhere. What influenced your decision?
Write about a time you invited someone to 'come in' and how that interaction unfolded.
Consider the phrase 'come in' in a metaphorical sense. What does it mean to 'come in' to a new idea or way of thinking?
Imagine you are a doorman. What would you say to people as they 'come in' to a building? How would your tone change depending on the person?
Test Yourself 6 questions
The security guard told the visitors to _____ after showing their identification.
'Come in' means to enter a place. The context of a security guard and identification implies entering.
It was raining heavily, so she quickly opened the door and invited me to _____.
Given the heavy rain, inviting someone 'in' (to enter) makes the most sense to escape the weather.
The sign on the door clearly stated, 'Please _____ only if you have an appointment.'
The instruction on the door about appointments directly relates to the act of entering the premises.
You can use 'come in' when someone is waiting outside a building and you want them to enter.
The phrase 'come in' is used to invite or instruct someone to enter a place, fitting the scenario of someone waiting outside.
The sentence 'The new policy will come in effect next month' correctly uses the phrase 'come in' to mean 'to enter a place'.
In 'come in effect,' 'come in' is part of an idiom meaning 'to become operational' or 'to begin.' It does not refer to physical entry.
When a friend asks you to 'come in' for a cup of coffee, they are inviting you to leave their house.
To 'come in' for a cup of coffee means to enter their house and join them for coffee, not to leave.
/ 6 correct
Perfect score!
Example
Please come in and make yourself comfortable.
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This Word in Other Languages
Related Phrases
More general words
a lot of
A2A large amount or number of; plenty of.
about
A1On the subject of; concerning something.
above
A2In a higher place than something or someone.
accident
A2An unfortunate event causing damage or injury.
action
A2The process of doing something, typically to achieve an aim.
after
A2Following in time or place; later than.
afterward
A2At a later or subsequent time.
again
A2Another time; once more.
aged
B1Of a specified age.
alive
A2Living, not dead.
