I’d rather come or go with you

Question

I’d rather come with you.

I'd rather go with you.

Is there any difference between them?

I think 'come' has the opposite meaning of 'go'

Answer 1

In that context with "with", the meanings are just about the same. There are a couple slight differences between the two.

First, "come" suggests joining that person on the trip, as if it's the other person's trip, and the speaker wishes to join that trip, and they'll travel together as a unit.

"Go" doesn't have this nuance, and merely means travel together. It could mean joining the group and travelling as a unit, or it could mean the speaker following the other person without their assent.

Second, "come" implies that they will travel to some place together, while "go" merely means they will leave at the same time, but possibly not go the same way afterwards. For instance, if the two people are leaving a party at the same time, "come" means they'll travel together for at least some part of the trip, but "go" only means they'll leave at the same time.

Answer 2

The words "come" and "go" are two sides of the same coin.

When you come somewhere, you also go there. When you go somewhere, you also come there.

"Come" just means "go" but when you think of the destination as being close either literally or figuratively to either the subject, speaker, or audience.

So, if you are at home, you might say "He came home," but if you are at school, you would say "He went home."

If you are speaking to someone at home, you would say "I will come home." If you are at work and speaking to someone at their work, you would say "I will go home."

The phrases "I will come with you" and "I will go with you" mean about the same. They mean you intend to leave or start a journey with someone.

As for "I will go with you," that is self-explanatory. The object of the going is "somewhere." It means "I will go (somewhere) with you." Sometimes it just means "to the exit."

As for "I will come with you," that is a bit more confusing. In my experience, this is usually meant as a shortening of "I will come to you and go with you." The intention is that the person whom you are joining is either literally or figuratively between you and the destination, so you first come to him (and he is closer to both you, the speaker, and him, the audience) before going to the destination (which is further).

In common parlance, when you say either phrase, it is because the person is somehow closer to the destination. So, even if "go with you" does not have this implication in the words, it is usually said when the implication exists through context anyway.

But, you can think up scenarios when the speaker is closer to the destination and is forced to use "go with you" instead of "come with you."

For example, if a person is leaving and he only has room in his car for one person and two people want to go with him, he can only say "I'd rather go with you." That is because he is (figuratively) closer to the destination than his audience.

Answer 3

go away from where where a speaker is.

• We went to school today. [we are not at that location]
• We came to school today. [We are at that location.]
• They went to school today. [They are not in that location.]

Come to a place where the speaker is.

"I want you to come home early, Johnny." [on the phone to her son from home] "I want you to go home early, Johnny." [on the phone to her son while not at home]

We are at school. We came here this morning.

You and I are at my house and I say to you: "I'd rather come here next time with you. Not alone."

We are not at your house. We are in the park and I say to you: "I'd rather go to your house with you and not stay here."

Scenario: A mother is standing next to her car. There is a second car, too and she says to her son: "Do you want to come with me or do you prefer to go with your Uncle Harry?". [come with me the speaker, go away from the speaker to the other car]. Here, the mother would never say come with Uncle Harry in this situation.

Scenario: The mother and son are at the park, and she says: "I want you to come home early tonight."

Why does that work? Because the mother is a synecdoche for home. It's as if her person was a home and the son is coming to it.