1.
to enter a room or a place
“Come in, please.”
“She came in at 8 a.m.”
“Can I come in?”
Synonyms: to enter, to walk in
Phrasal verb
What does come in mean?
Meaning: to enter a place
B1
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Quick answer
Come in = to enter a place, towards the speaker inside. Come in! = please enter! It takes no object. The opposite is go out. It is different from get in = to enter a car.
Meanings of the phrasal verb
2.
to arrive (a train, a plane, the post)
common“The train is coming in now.”
“Has the post come in yet?”
Word order
Intransitive (no object)
This phrasal verb does not take an object.
Forms
- Present Simple:
- come in
- Past Simple:
- came in
- Past participle:
- come in
- -ing form:
- coming in
Common mistakes to avoid
Irregular verb: came / come
Come → came → come. Past Simple: She came in. Present Perfect: She has come in. Never She comed in ❌.
Come in is not get in
Come in = to enter a place (a room, a house) on foot. Get in = to enter a vehicle (a car, a taxi). Come into the house / Get in the car.
Practice quiz
Question 1 / 3The Big Challenge question bank
Related pages: come in
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
What's next?
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Frequently asked questions
What does come in mean?+
Come in = to enter a place, towards the speaker. Come in, please. It can also mean to arrive (a train, the post).
Is come in separable?+
No, it takes no direct object. To name the place, use come INTO + a place: Come into my office.
What is the difference between come in and go in?+
It is about direction. Come in = to enter towards me (the speaker is inside). Go in = to enter a place (the speaker is outside). I am in the house and you knock on the door: Come in!
What is the opposite of come in?+
Go out (to leave) or come out (to leave towards the speaker, who is outside). Come in / go out often go together.
What does “the train is coming in” mean?+
It means the train is arriving at the station. This is meaning 2. For a train, you can say come in or arrive: The 9 a.m. train is coming in.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/phrasal-verbs/come-in
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.