Cool MateArrive vs Come
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Arrive
Top 1,000 (very common)A1verb
Come
High-frequency chunkA1verb
| Arrive | Come | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/əˈraɪv/","/əˈraɪvz/","/əˈraɪvd/","/əˈraɪvɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/əˈraɪv/","/əˈraɪvz/","/əˈraɪvd/","/əˈraɪvɪŋ/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/kʌm/","/kʌmz/","/keɪm/","/ˈkʌmɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/kʌm/","/kʌmz/","/keɪm/","/ˈkʌmɪŋ/"]/ |
| Meaning | To reach a place that you were going to. | To move to a place or to arrive. |
| Example | We will arrive at the airport by noon. | Please come to the party this Saturday. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | High-frequency chunk |
| CEFR level | A1 | A1 |
| Part of speech | verb | verb |
| Collocations | early, late, shortly, be due to, fail to, at, in, the first to arrive, the last to arrive, early, late, shortly, be due to, fail to, at, in, the first to arrive, the last to arrive | come home, come together, come here, come back, come to an agreement |
| Antonyms | depart, leave | go, leave |
| Common mistakes | Confusing 'arrive at' with 'arrive in'., Using 'arrived to' instead of 'arrived at/in'. | Confused with 'go' - 'come' implies arriving at the speaker's location, while 'go' means to leave., Incorrectly using 'com' in phrases instead of 'come'., Using the wrong tense, e.g., 'comed' instead of 'came'. |
| Usage notes | Use 'arrive at' for specific locations (e.g., 'arrive at the airport') and 'arrive in' for larger areas (e.g., 'arrive in Paris'). Avoid using in very formal contexts; consider synonyms like 'reach' instead. | Used in both formal and informal contexts. 'Come' is appropriate in conversation and writing but can be vague without additional context (e.g., 'come here' is more specific). Avoid using it in highly technical or formal documents. |
Frequently asked questions: Arrive vs Come
What's the difference between Arrive and Come?
Arrive: To reach a place that you were going to. Come: To move to a place or to arrive.
Are Arrive and Come the same CEFR level?
Arrive: A1, Come: A1 on the CEFR scale.
Can I use Arrive and Come interchangeably?
Not always. Arrive and Come are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.