come in — enter (a place)
phrasal verbB1IELTS 4+neutralcommon
to enter a room or building, especially after being outside or after knocking.
Say it like a native
Textbook You may enter the room now.
Native Come in!
'Come in' is the everyday invitation to enter; 'you may enter the room' is stiff and officious.
Pattern: come in (to somewhere)
In use
- She knocked on the door and waited for someone to tell her to come in.daily life
- If I arrive early for a job interview, I usually wait until someone asks me to come in before entering the office.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ Please come in to the room.
✓ Please come in. / Please come into the room.
Bare 'come in', or 'come INTO the room' — not 'come in to the room'.
Common collocations
come in— please, and sit down, out of the rain, through here
Don't confuse it
'Go in' is used when the speaker is not inside the place.
Related
- come in (become available or useful) — Another meaning of 'come in' is 'become available or useful'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.