English Reference

Phrasal verb

come from

Definition

phrasal verb. This tells you the origin of a person or thing, like their home country, city, or where something was made.

phrasal verb. A transitive prepositional verb indicating the origin or source of a person, object, or idea.

Examples

“She comes from Canada.”

“This coffee comes from a small farm in Colombia and has a really rich flavour.”

“Her deep-seated distrust of authority comes from a childhood spent under a repressive regime, shaping her political views for life.”

Examples

simple

“She comes from Canada.”

contextual

“This coffee comes from a small farm in Colombia and has a really rich flavour.”

complex

“Her deep-seated distrust of authority comes from a childhood spent under a repressive regime, shaping her political views for life.”

Usage

Used to state the origin of a person (country, city) or a thing (source, material).

Teaching tip

Contrast with 'be from', which is nearly synonymous for origin ('I come from Spain' vs. 'I am from Spain'), but 'come from' can also imply a cause ('His anger comes from insecurity').

Pitfall

Where you come from?

Where do you come from?

In questions, the auxiliary verb 'do' is required before the subject 'you'.

Phrasal verb

Particles

from

Separability

inseparable

Pattern

come + from + object

Synonyms

be fromoriginate fromhail from

Antonyms

go tomove toend up in

Grammar

This entry

Level
A1 · Beginner
Updated

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English Reference