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I've read some posts differentiating come and go on the site, however, there's a case which hasn't received that much attention, which is when the speaker and the listener are both at the same place, and they are going somewhere.

A native speaker said (here), and I quote,

"Keep in mind you have to use the perspective that makes sense in context. If my friend and I are thinking of a trip to Europe, I would say

Let's go to Europe.

and not

Let's come to Europe

... However, I can ask my friend in the US:

Do you want to come with me to Europe?

because I visualize that person with me as we move toward a location -- she's "coming along" with me."

I honestly don't see the difference between the two cases. How is "Let's come to Europe" wrong, but "Do you want to come with me to Europe" right? The difference here is just the word with. But if it's all about whether you visualize your friend coming with you or not, a word shouldn't change anything here. You can still visualize your friend coming with you to Europe while saying "Let's come to Europe!"

To sum up the question here: by his logic, I don't see any problem with the sentence: Let's come to Europe! Why did he say it's wrong but state that "Do you want to come with me to Europe" right?

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  • Speaking of "coming with me" implies that you are the "leader" of the trip - perhaps you have already planned to go there and are inviting your friend to join you. If you say "Let's go", the two of you are planning the trip together.
    – Kate Bunting
    Commented May 19 at 7:53
  • Sorry. I miswrote the last part of my question. I have just edited it to make myself clear.
    – An IELTS Learner
    Commented May 19 at 8:00
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    Come normally means 'move to where the speaker is', so you can't say "Let's come to Europe" if you are both outside Europe. The only exception is when you ask someone to move to another place with you - you say "Come with me".
    – Kate Bunting
    Commented May 19 at 13:56
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    In the specific context, I think most Anglophones would be quite happy with "Do you want to go with me?" AND "Do you want to come with me?" But the come version more strongly implies that the speaker will go regardless of whether the addressee accompanies him or not. The go version could suggest that if addressee says "No," the speaker might not go either.
    – FumbleFingers
    Commented May 19 at 15:32

1 Answer 1

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"Come" is used when you are talking about someone else joining you in a place. If you say, "Come to Europe", the implication is that you are already in Europe and you are urging the other person to join you there.

"Go" is used when you are talking about travelling to some place other than where you presently are. If you say, "Go to Europe", you are telling the other person to leave wherever he presently is and travel to Europe. But you are not in Europe when you say this.

"Come with" indicates that the two people are travelling together. They are "with" each other. So "Come with me to Europe" means the speaker is making this trip, and he wants the other to join him on this trip. The other person will be with him. So he is "coming" to where the speaker is. It's just that that place is not fixed. He is going to Europe.

So I think it makes at least some logical sense. But in any case, regardless of whether it makes logical sense to you, that's how we use the words. There are plenty of things we say in English (and probably in other languages, but whatever) that DON'T make logical sense to me, but that's just how we say it. If it doesn't make sense to you, you just have to accept that that's how the language works and use it that way.

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  • You know I had the hardest time convincing people of this and got a rash of downvotes. Unbelievable. I will give you the link. Check is out: ell.stackexchange.com/questions/336980/… And another answer says come and go are two sides of the same coin! :)
    – Lambie
    Commented May 19 at 17:26
  • @Lambie Huh. I just read your answer, and yes, you say essentially the same thing that I said here. I just upvoted you, for what it's worth.
    – Jay
    Commented May 21 at 14:21
  • Thanks, Jay. Joke: I'm home now. I hope you go there soon. [haha] :)
    – Lambie
    Commented May 21 at 16:11
  • @Lambie I'm in the Philippines. You're welcome to come here any time. :-)
    – Jay
    Commented May 21 at 16:42
  • I'd love to go there. Almost like Brazil where I was raised. :)
    – Lambie
    Commented May 21 at 19:18

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