The German verb kommen means "to come." It is an irregular verb that appears in many common expressions and grammatical forms, including the perfect tense with gekommen and auxiliary sein.
- Infinitive: kommen
- Meaning: to come, to arrive, to originate
- Past Participle: gekommen
- Auxiliary Verb: sein (used in forming the perfect tense)
- Usage: indicating movement toward a place, origin, or source; appearing in idioms and compound verbs
Conjugation
Below are the conjugations for kommen in three key tenses, followed by English translations. The ich (I) form is shown as an example.
| German Pronoun | Present (Präsens) | Simple Past (Präteritum) | Present Perfect (Perfekt) | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | ich komme | ich kam | ich bin gekommen | I come / I am coming / I do come |
| du | du kommst | du kamst | du bist gekommen | you come / you came / you have come |
| er/sie/es | er kommt | er kam | er ist gekommen | he/she/it comes / came / has come |
| wir | wir kommen | wir kamen | wir sind gekommen | we come / came / have come |
| ihr | ihr kommt | ihr kamt | ihr seid gekommen | you (pl.) come / came / have come |
| sie/Sie | sie kommen | sie kamen | sie sind gekommen | they/you (formal) come / came / have come |
- Past Participle: gekommen
- Auxiliary Verb: sein (e.g., ich bin gekommen)
- Note: Use sein because kommen denotes movement from one place to another.
Usage
The verb kommen is used to express arrival, movement toward the speaker or a specified location, or origin. It also appears in many compound verbs and idiomatic expressions.
- Basic meaning: to come or arrive
- Indicating origin: Ich komme aus Deutschland. (I come from Germany.)
- Idiomatic expressions:
- Wie kommt das?* (How come?/How is that?)
- Es kommt darauf an.* (It depends.)
- Komm mal her!* (Come here!)
- Compound verbs:
- zurückkommen* (to come back)
- ankommen* (to arrive)
- mitkommen* (to come along)
- Usage with prepositions:
- aus* (Ich komme aus Berlin.)
- zu* (Ich komme zu dir.)
Examples
Here are some example sentences showing kommen in different tenses and contexts:
| German Example | English Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ich komme morgen. | I am coming tomorrow. | Simple present for future meaning |
| Woher kommst du? | Where do you come from? | Origin/source question |
| Er kam gestern spät. | He came late yesterday. | Simple past tense |
| Wir sind zusammen nach Hause gekommen. | We came home together. | Present perfect with sein |
| Kommst du mit? | Are you coming along? | With the separable prefix *mit- |
Fill in the blank: Kommst du ___?
mit
The prefix mit in mitkommen (to come along) separates in the sentence: Kommst du mit?
Grammar Notes
- Separable Prefixes: Some verbs are formed by adding prefixes to kommen. These prefixes may separate in conjugated forms:
- ankommen → Ich komme an.*
- zurückkommen → Sie kommt zurück.*
- mitkommen → Kommst du mit?*
- Auxiliary Verb: In perfect tenses, kommen and its compound forms use sein rather than haben because they describe motion.
- Modal Usage: When combined with modals, kommen keeps its infinitive form:
- Ich kann nicht kommen.* (I can’t come.)
- Wir müssen früh kommen.* (We have to come early.)
Why does kommen use sein as the auxiliary verb instead of haben in the perfect tense?
Because it indicates movement from one place to another.
In German, verbs expressing a change of location or movement—like kommen—use sein as the auxiliary in the perfect tense.
Summary
kommen means to come or arrive and is irregular in the simple past and past participle. It uses sein as an auxiliary verb in perfect tenses. Common usage includes:
- Describing arrival or movement toward a place
- Indicating origin (with aus)
- Forming compound verbs with prefixes (mit-, an-, zurück-)
- Appearing in many idioms and everyday expressions
Flashcards (1 of 11)
- Present (Präsens): ich komme
- Simple Past (Präteritum): ich kam
- Present Perfect (Perfekt): ich bin gekommen
- English Meaning: I come / I am coming / I do come
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
