Come past tense: came, come
arrive, approach
Come is an irregular English verb: the past simple of come is came and the past participle is come. Learn the three forms together — come – came – come.
Verb forms
Base form
/kʌm/
Past Simple
/keɪm/
Past Participle
/kʌm/
Press the speaker button to hear each form. The transcription under each word shows the British pronunciation (IPA).
Example sentences
Base form · come
My friends come to visit me every weekend.
Past Simple · came
She came to the party despite being ill.
Past Participle · come
Winter has come early this year.
Key tenses
| Present Simple | Past Simple | Present Perfect |
|---|---|---|
I come he / she / it comes | I came | I have come |
| Present Continuous:I am coming · he / she / it is coming | ||
Common collocations
come true
to become real, as a dream does
come back
to return
come up with
to think of an idea or plan
Grammar guide
Come belongs to the small ABA group: the past participle is the same as the base form (come), and only the past simple (came) is different.
- Past simple – came: a finished action at a definite time in the past. It is used on its own, without an auxiliary.
- Past participle – come: after have, has or had (present perfect, past perfect) and after be in the passive voice.
- Questions and negatives in the past simple use did + the base form: Did you come…? I didn’t come.
Verbs with the same pattern
Quick quiz
Which sentence is correct?
Questions about come
- What is the past simple of come?
- The past simple of come is came.
- What is the past participle of come?
- The past participle of come is come.
- What are the three forms of come?
- The three forms are come – came – come: base form, past simple and past participle.
- Is come a regular or an irregular verb?
- Come is irregular: its past simple is came, not comed.