1 A2 neutral
to have a particular place as your home or origin
"She comes from Brazil but works in Lisbon now."
“
I come from under the hill. And under hills and over hills my paths led.
— J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit
inseparable
come from
A2 neutral inseparable intransitive
to have a place, source, or cause as your origin
In plain English
to be from a place or start from somewhere
What does "come from" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 A2 neutral
to have a particular source or cause
"Most of the noise is coming from the kitchen."
inseparable
3 B1 idiomatic neutral
to belong to a particular family, background, or tradition
"He comes from a long line of teachers."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
to move from a particular place
Actually means
to be from a place or start from somewhere
Usage tip
Extremely common. Used for people, sounds, ideas, products, and causes.
Words that pair with "come from"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
France family money idea problem sound
How to conjugate "come from"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
come from
I/you/we/they
3rd person
comes from
he/she/it
Past simple
came from
yesterday
Past participle
come from
have + pp
-ing form
coming from
continuous
Hear "come from" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "come from" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "come from"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
Keep exploring
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