Translation guide
The English verb 'come' has many meanings and uses. In Japanese, there is no single equivalent. The best translation depends on the specific meaning: movement toward the speaker, arrival, occurrence, change of state, or idiomatic expressions. This guide organizes the most common meanings for English-speaking learners.
Expressing physical movement to the place where the speaker or listener is, or will be.
The basic verb for 'come'. Use when the subject moves toward the speaker's or listener's location. Note that Japanese distinguishes between coming and going based on the speaker's perspective.
A friend came to my house.
Please come to school tomorrow.
Honorific form of 来る. Use when the person coming is someone you respect (e.g., a guest, customer, superior).
Humble form of 来る. Use when you or your in-group come to a place, especially in formal situations.
Indicating that someone or something has arrived at a place.
Means 'arrive'. Use this when the focus is on reaching a destination, not the movement itself. Often used for trains, planes, etc.
Expressing that someone has started doing something or that a state has gradually changed.
Attach to the volitional form of a verb to mean 'come to (do)' or 'reach the point where'. Indicates a change over time.
Inviting someone to an event or asking if they will attend.
The same verb 来る is used for attending events. Often used with 〜に.
Indicating where someone or something originates.
Used to say where someone is from (hometown, country, school). Often used with 〜です or 〜出身です.
Indicating that something happens after something else, or is next in order.
Literally 'come next'. Used for sequences, schedules, or logical order.
Reaching a decision or conclusion after thought.
Formal expression meaning 'come to (a conclusion/decision)'. Often used in writing.
Expressing that a wish, dream, or prediction becomes reality.
Used for wishes or dreams coming true.
In Japanese, the choice between 来る (come) and 行く (go) depends on the speaker's perspective relative to the destination. If the movement is toward the speaker's current or future location, use 来る. If it's away from the speaker, use 行く. This can be tricky when inviting someone: 'Please come to my house' uses 来る, but 'I will go to your house' uses 行く.
Please come to my house.
The teacher has come.
I will come tomorrow. (humble)
電車が駅に着いた。
The train arrived at the station.
What time will you arrive?
Formal word for 'arrive'. Common in announcements and written language.
The plane will arrive shortly.
I've come to be able to speak Japanese.
He has come to study a lot recently.
Used after a verb in て-form to indicate that something has been happening up to now, or that a change is gradually occurring. Often implies 'has come to be'.
It has gradually become warmer.
I've been living in this town for 10 years now. (lit. It has come to be 10 years since I started living...)
パーティーに来ませんか。
Won't you come to the party?
Thank you for coming to the concert.
Means 'participate' or 'attend'. More formal than 来る when talking about events.
Will you come to the meeting? (lit. participate)
I come from Tokyo.
Where does he come from?
Literally 'come from'. Used for things or people coming from a place, but 出身 is more natural for personal origin.
This letter came from America.
The next train coming is an express.
After spring comes summer.
Means 'continue' or 'follow'. Can be used when one event follows another.
The program that comes after this is...
We came to an agreement.
Intransitive verb meaning 'be decided'. Use when a decision has been reached.
The schedule has been decided. (We've come to a decision on the schedule.)
My dream came true.
Means 'realize' or 'come true'. More formal, used for plans or hopes.
The plan came to fruition.
あなたの家に行きます。
I will go to your house.
English often uses 'come to' with another verb (e.g., 'come to understand'). In Japanese, this is usually expressed with 〜ようになる or 〜てくる, not by combining 来る with another verb directly. Avoid literal translations like 理解するために来る.
I came to understand.