German · Everyday Verbs
"to come" in German: kommen
kommen
To come in German is kommen. Say Ich komme gleich or Kommst du mit?. Past is ich bin gekommen. Komm! works as a short invitation.
At the door
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How to pronounce kommen
Say it
KOM-en
/ˈkɔmən/
KOM-en. Short o. Soft -en.
"to come" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| kommen | to come Core verb. | Core verb. |
| ich komme / du kommst / er kommt | I/you/he come(s) Present. | Present. |
| gekommen | come (past) With sein. | With sein. |
| mitkommen | to come along Very common separable verb. | Very common separable verb. |
How to use kommen in real life
- 1At the door
Ich komme schon!
I'm coming!
Response when someone calls you.
- 2Invitation
Kommst du heute Abend?
Are you coming tonight?
Du form kommst.
- 3After arrival
Wann bist du gekommen?
When did you come / arrive?
Perfect with sein.
Mistakes English speakers make with kommen
Incorrect: Ich habe gekommen.
Correct: Ich bin gekommen.
Kommen takes sein in the perfect.
Incorrect: Er komme morgen. (as present statement)
Correct: Er kommt morgen.
Present third person is kommt.
Good to know
Komm! or Komm schon! can nudge a friend along without sounding rude among equals. In texts, people write Kommst du? without extra politeness fluff when plans are casual.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Meeting at a concert
ChatPal
Kommst du noch rechtzeitig?
Are you still coming on time?
You
Ja, ich komme in zehn Minuten.
Yes, I'm coming in ten minutes.
ChatPal
Gut. Wir kommen dann zusammen rein.
Good. Then we'll come in together.
You
Perfekt. Warte am Eingang.
Perfect. Wait at the entrance.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to come" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to come" in German
How do you conjugate kommen?
Ich komme, du kommst, er/sie/es kommt, wir kommen, ihr kommt, sie kommen.
Which helper verb does kommen use?
Sein: ich bin gekommen.
How do you say come with me?
Komm mit! / Kommst du mit?
What is the past of kommen?
Kam in the simple past; bin gekommen in the perfect.
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