来る・来ます
Come: an irregular verb
You’ll be able to use the irregular verb “come” and handle its changing stem correctly.
友達が家に来ます。
tomodachi ga ie ni kimasu.
What do you think this sentence means?
A friend is coming to my house.
Use the irregular verb “come”
来る means “come.” It is irregular, so its reading and stem change when you conjugate it.
明日、田中さんが来ます。
ashita, tanaka-san ga kimasu.
Tanaka-san will come tomorrow.
Memorize the changing stem
The dictionary form is 来る（くる）, while the polite form is 来ます（きます）.
明日、友達が来ます。
ashita, tomodachi ga kimasu.
My friend will come tomorrow.
先生が教室に来ました。
sensei ga kyoushitsu ni kimashita.
The teacher came to the classroom.
東京に来ませんか。
toukyou ni kimasen ka.
Would you like to come to Tokyo?
Mark the destination with に or へ
When you say where someone comes to, mark that destination with に or へ.
日本に来ます。
nihon ni kimasu.
I will come to Japan.
学校へ来ました。
gakkou e kimashita.
I came to school.
ここに来てください。
koko ni kite kudasai.
Please come here.
来る vs 行く
Both describe movement, but the perspective differs. 来る is movement toward where the speaker is; 行く is movement away to somewhere else.
来る・来ます, toward you (in Japan)
友達が日本に来ます。
tomodachi ga nihon ni kimasu.
A friend is coming to Japan.
Used when the speaker is already in Japan. The friend is moving toward you.
行く・行きます, away from you (to Japan)
来年、日本に行きます。
rainen, nihon ni ikimasu.
Next year, I will go to Japan.
Even if talking to a friend in Japan, use 行く because you are moving away from your current location.
私は明日来ます。
watashi wa ashita kimasu.
I will come tomorrow.
先生も来ます。
sensei mo kimasu.
The teacher is coming too.
友達は今日来ません。
tomodachi wa kyou kimasen.
My friend is not coming today.
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