comes: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
A1Neutral (used in all registers from informal to formal)
Quick answer
What does “comes” mean?
Third person singular present tense of the verb 'come': to move or travel towards or into a place thought of as near or familiar to the speaker or listener.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Third person singular present tense of the verb 'come': to move or travel towards or into a place thought of as near or familiar to the speaker or listener.
Can signify arrival, occurrence, availability, derivation, attainment of a state, or a point in order or time (e.g., 'comes after').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. The verb form is identical. Potential minor differences in phrasal verb frequency (e.g., 'come over' might be slightly more common in UK for visiting).
Connotations
None specific to region.
Frequency
Equally ultra-high frequency in both varieties.
Grammar
How to Use “comes” in a Sentence
[Sb] comes [Adv/Prep] (The bus comes here.)[Sb] comes to do sth (She comes to visit often.)[Sb] comes [Adj] (His prediction comes true.)It comes [that]-clause (It comes as no surprise that he won.)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “comes” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The train comes into platform four.
- Understanding comes with practice.
- He comes across as quite shy.
American English
- The bus comes every fifteen minutes.
- It comes down to a matter of budget.
- Her name comes up in every meeting.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
"The report comes to the conclusion that we need to diversify."
Academic
"The solution comes from applying the second theorem."
Everyday
"The post usually comes around noon."
Technical
"The data comes in a raw, unformatted stream."
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “comes”
- *He come here every day. (Missing 3rd person -s)
- *It comes to expensive. (Incorrect adjective use after 'comes to'; should be 'It comes to be expensive' or 'It becomes expensive')
- Overusing 'comes' for inanimate subjects where 'is located' or 'occurs' is better.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While its core meaning is physical movement, it is extensively used metaphorically for ideas, time, events, emotions, and realizations arriving or occurring.
It is the third person singular present tense form of 'come'. It must be used with singular subjects (he, she, it, the cat, a idea) in the present tense, not with 'I', 'you', 'we', or 'they'.
As a basic verb of motion and arrival, it provides a concrete foundation for abstract concepts (time, success, understanding), making it ideal for metaphorical and idiomatic expression.
No, the related noun is 'coming' (e.g., 'the coming of spring'). The word 'come' can be a noun in very specific informal or sexual contexts, but 'comes' as a standalone plural noun is not standard.
Third person singular present tense of the verb 'come': to move or travel towards or into a place thought of as near or familiar to the speaker or listener.
Comes is usually neutral (used in all registers from informal to formal) in register.
Comes: in British English it is pronounced /kʌmz/, and in American English it is pronounced /kʌmz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “comes a cropper”
- “comes to a head”
- “comes with the territory”
- “comes rain or shine”
- “first come, first served”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
COMES: Connects Origin to ME Spot. Think of something moving to where you (me) are.
Conceptual Metaphor
TIME IS A MOVING OBJECT (e.g., 'Christmas comes once a year'); ACHIEVEMENT/SUCCESS IS ARRIVAL AT A DESTINATION (e.g., 'After years of work, success finally comes').
Practice
Quiz
In the phrase 'it comes as no surprise', what part of speech is 'comes'?