Are you coming or are you going?
(Come and go - what's the difference?)

    Here's a typical scenario in our home. The telephone rings and Ari, my wife answers it. The caller asks, "Can I speak to Bob, please?" so Ari calls me:

      Ari: Bob. Denwa desu.
      Bob: Hai. Kuru yo.

    Now, just a minute. There's something wrong with Bob's Japanese. Shouldn't he have said "iku yo" not "kuru yo"? Well, that's the problem. In English we would say it like this:

      Ari: Bob. Telephone for you.
      Bob: OK. I'm coming.

    You see the difference? The way we use come and go in English isn't always the same as iku and kuru in Japanese. I'll explain this in more detail in the next couple of sections.

    Come and go, the basic difference

    COME IS USED FOR MOVEMENT TOWARDS THE SPEAKER:

    • Could you come here for a moment, please?
    • When did you first come to this country?

    GO IS USED FOR MOVEMENT AWAY FROM THE SPEAKER:

    • Can you go to the supermarket and get me a loaf of bread?
    • I hear you're planning to go to Canada next year.

    Some special situations

    Take a look at these situations:

      SITUATION 1:
      (The telephone rings and Mary picks it up)
      Mary:   Hello.
      Caller:  Hello. Could I speak to George, please?
      Mary:  Just a moment... George! Telephone for you!
      George: Right, I'm coming.

      SITUATION 2:
      (The telephone rings and Mary picks it up)
      Mary:   Hello.
      Caller:  Hello. This is Ena Library. The book you requested has arrived
      Mary:   Great! I'll come over for it now.

      SITUATION 3:
      (Two friends in a coffee shop)
      A: We're having a party next week.
      B: Oh, can I come?
      A: Yes, of course you can come.

      SITUATION 4:
      (Two friends meet in the street)
      A: Hi, Mary. Where are you going?
      B: I'm just going to the video shop. Do you want to come with me?

    I think that if we translate all these situations into Japanese, we would use the verb, iku not kuru. We often use come when:

    1. we talk about moving towards the place where our speaking partner is or will be:
        I'll come and visit you tomorrow.
    2. when we are going somewhere with our speaking partner:
        If you're going to the post office, I'll come with you.

    However, be careful with these words and phrases:

    Although we can say, "Would you like to come with me?" we use GO not COME with
    Shall we ____, Let's ____ or together:

    • Shall we go and see a movie tomorrow?
    • Let's go out for a drink.
    • Why don't we go there together?

    One more special case

    We also use come in the following way when we are giving directions:

    • Go straight down this road. Then turn left when you come to the traffic-lights.

    (We could also say: when you get to the traffic-lights).

    Acknowledgement:
    I was reminded of this special use of come while reading Michael Swan's Practical English Usage, Oxford University Press.

    Exercise

    Use either come or go in the following sentences:

    1. _______ here. I want to talk with you.
    2. Did you _______ to Tokyo last month?
    3. I know you're hiding behind that screen. _______ out and show your face!
    4. Those kids are making too much noise. Tell them to _______ and play outside.
    5. Let's _______ and see the doctor.
    6. Do you want to _______ and see the doctor with me?
    7. We're _______ to see the new James Bond movie tonight. Do you want to _______ with us?
    8. Keep straight on until you _______ to the traffic lights, then turn left.
    9. Hi, Bob, I'm phoning from my office. If you're not busy, can you _______ over and see me?
    10. Stay where you are. I'm _______ over.
    11. Can you _______ over to my place and pick me up?
    12. I hope you'll _______ and see us when you're in Tokyo.
    13. I hope you'll _______ and see your grandmother when you're in Tokyo.
    14. A: John, there's a phone call for you.
      B: OK. Just a minute. I'm _______ .

    Click here to check your answers.

    Click here if you want to try some of my other one-point lessons.

    © Robert E. Jones, 2004