1 A2 neutral
to enter a room, building, or other place
"Come in and have a seat."
“
Come in. I hope I didn't keep you waiting long.
— Kazuo Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day
inseparable
come in
A2 neutral intransitive intransitive
to enter, arrive, become involved, or be received
In plain English
to go inside or to arrive
What does "come in" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic neutral
to arrive or be received
"The results should come in by Friday."
“
When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?
— Often attributed to John Maynard Keynes; not an exact 'come in' citation
inseparable
3 B2 idiomatic neutral
to become involved in a situation or activity
"Parents should know when to come in and when to step back."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
to move inside
Actually means
to go inside or to arrive
Usage tip
Very common and highly flexible. Used for entering rooms, incoming calls, tides, trains, information, and trends.
Words that pair with "come in"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
room train call message news tide
How to conjugate "come in"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
come in
I/you/we/they
3rd person
comes in
he/she/it
Past simple
came in
yesterday
Past participle
come in
have + pp
-ing form
coming in
continuous
Hear "come in" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "come in" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "come in"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
Keep exploring
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